N  f 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 
Prof.  Lpye  E.  Miner 


CAMPS   AND    CRUISES 

OP   AN 
ORNITHOLOGIST 


By  FRANK  M.  CHAPMAN, 

Curator  of   Birds   in   the    American    Museum    of 
Natural  History. 


HANDBOOK  OF  BIRDS  OF  EASTERN  NORTH  AMERICA. 

With  Keys  to  the  Species,  Descriptions  of  their 
Plumages,  Nests,  etc.,  and  their  Distribution  and 
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LIBRARY  EDITION,  $3.00. 
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BIRD-LIFE.     A  Guide  lo  the  Study  of  Our  Common  Birds. 
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BIRD    STUDIES    WITH    A    CAMERA.      Wirh   Imroductory 
Chapters  oil  ihc  Ouifii  :u:d  Methods  of  the  Bird  Photographer. 
Illustra'ed  with  over  100  Photographs  from  Nature 
by  the  Author.      121110.     Cloth,  $1.75. 

THE  WARBLERS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

With  Contributions  from  other  Ornithologists  and 
24  full-page  Colored  Plates  illustrating  every 
Species,  from  Drawings  by  L.  A.  Fuertes  and  B. 
Horsfall,  and  Half-tones  of  Nests  and  Eggs.  8vo. 
Cloth,  $ 3.00  net. 

CAMPS  AND  CRUISES  OF  AN  ORNITHOLOGIST. 

Illustrated  by  250  Photographs  from  Nature  by 
the  Author.  8vo.  Cloth,  $3.00  net. 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


CAMPS  AND  CRUISES 

OF  AN 

ORNITHOLOGIST 


BY 

FRANK  M.  CHAPMAN 

CURATOR    OF  ORNITHOLOGY,    AMERICAN    MUSEUM   OF   NATURAL    HISTORY 

FELLOW  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ORNITHOLOGISTS'  UNION;  AUTHOR  OF 

"HANDBOOK  OF  BIRDS  OF  EASTERN  NORTH  AMERICA" 

"BIRD-LIFE;  "  "BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A 

CAMERA,"  ETC. 


WITH  250  PHOTOGRAPHS  FROM  NATURE 
BY   THE  AUTHOR 


NEW    YORK 
1).  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  BY 
D.  APPLETON   AND   COMPANY 


I   DEDICATE   THIS   VOLUME    TO 
HERMON   C.   BUMPUS 

DIRECTOR  OF  THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM  OF   NATURAL  HISTORY 

IN  RECOGNITION  OF  HIS  INVALUABLE  AID  AND  ADVICE 

AND  TO  THOSE 

MEMBERS   OF   THE   MUSEUM 

WHOSE  CO-OPERATION  HAS   MADE  POSSIBLE  THE 
WORK  ON  WHICH  IT  IS  BASED 


712817 


Map  Indicating  Localities  Visited 


PEEFACE 

During  the  past  seven  years,  with  the  assistance  of  artist  and 
preparateur,  I  have  devoted  the  nesting  season  of  birds  to  collecting 
specimens  and  making  field  studies  and  photographs  on  which  to  base  a 
series  of  what  have  been  termed  "  Habitat  Groups  "  of  North  Ameri- 
can birds  for  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

These  groups  are  designed  to  illustrate  not  only  the  habits  and 
haunts  of  the  birds  shown,  but  also  the  country  in  which  they  live.  The 
birds  and,  in  most  instances,  their  nests  and  young,  are  therefore 
placed  in  a  facsimile  reproduction,  containing  from  sixty  to  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  square  feet  of  the  locality  in  which  they  are  found,  and 
to  this  realistic  representation  of  their  habitat  is  added  a  background, 
painted  from  nature,  and  so  deftly  joined  to  the  foreground,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  distinguish  where  one  ends  and  the  other  begins.  (See  the 
photographs  of  groups  on  pages,  62,  111,  233,  243,  291.) 

In  selecting  the  subjects  for  these  groups,  not  alone  birds,  but  the 
country  they  inhabit  has  been  taken  into  consideration;  it  being  desired 
to  have  the  series  of  great  panoramic  backgrounds,  some  of  which  are 
twenty-eight  feet  in  length,  portray  not  only  the  haunts  of  certain 
American  birds,  but  America  as  well.  Characteristic  shore,  marsh, 
prairie,  plain,  desert,  forest,  and  mountain  scenes  present  the  major 
features  of  American  physiography,  and  each  is  executed  with  an  ac- 
curacy which  gives  to  the  groups  a  geographical  as  well  as  an  ornitho- 
logical value. 

Some  subjects  were  in  nearby  localities,  which  were  easily  visited; 
others  were  in  remote  places  which  were  reached  with  more  or  less  diffi- 
culty. In  some  cases  an  entire  season  was  given  to  gathering  the  mater- 
ial for  a  single  group — that  of  the  Flamingos,  for  example;  in  others, 
several  groups  were  secured  in  a  single  season,  the  Bahaman  Man-o'- 


viii  PREFACE 

War  Birds,  for  instance,  being  obtained  in  April,  the  Carolina  Egrets 
in  May,  the  Saskatchewan  Geese  in  June,  and  the  Alberta  Ptarmigan  in 
July,  1907. 

No  ornithologist,  I  imagine,  has  ever  pursued  his  calling  with 
greater  pleasure  and  satisfaction  than  I  have  experienced  in  gathering 
the  material  and  data  for  these  groups  of  birds.  Not  only  has  it  been 
my  fortune  to  behold  some  of  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable 
sights  in  the  world  of  birds,  but  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  have  them 
reproduced  in  so  admirable  a  manner  that  they  convey  to  others  a 
wholly  adequate  conception  of  the  scene  itself. 

I  desire  now  further  to  perpetuate  these  experiences  and  studies  by 
telling  the  story  of  the  various  expeditions  of  which  the  groups  were 
the  objects,  adding  such  information  concerning  the  birds  observed  as 
seems  worthy  of  record,  and  illustrating  the  whole  with  many  photo- 
graphs from  nature  and  a  number  of  the  groups  themselves. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  acknowledge  here  my  indebtedness  to  the  co-la- 
borers who  have  been  associated  with  me  in  this  seven  years'  task;  to 
Mrs.  Chapman,  always  my  first  field  assistant,  to  Hermon  C.  Bumpus, 
whose  suggestions  and  advice  have  been  invaluable,  to  Louis  Agassiz 
Fuertes,  artist  and  tried  camp-mate,  to  Carlos  Hittell,  Bruce  Horsfall 
and  Hobart  Nichols,  artists,  to  J.  D.  Figgins,  preparateur,  to  H.  C. 
Denslow,  Herbert  Lang,  and  E.  W.  Smith,  taxidermists.  Without  the 
cooperation  of  these  efficient  fellow  workers  the  undertaking  in  which 
this  book  has  its  origin,  could  not  have  been  brought  to  a  successful 
conclusion. 

Several  of  the  following  chapters  have  appeared  in  "The  Century," 
"Scribner's,"  "Country  Life  in  America,"  "Outing,"  and  "Bird-Lore," 
but  the  greater  number  have  not  before  been  published. 

.,        •        ,.  FRANK  M.  CHAPMAN. 

American  Museum  of 

Natural  History. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

PREFACE vii 

INTRODUCTION    xi 

PART  I. 
TRAVELS   ABOUT  HOME 

The  Ways  of  Jays 5 

A  Morning  with  Meadowlarks 15 

Bird-Nesting  with   Burroughs 20 

A  Nighthawk  Incident    29 

PART  II. 

THE  BIRD-LIFE  OF  Two  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

Gardiner's    Island    38 

Cobb's   Island    63 

PART  III. 
FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Pelican    Island    83 

The  Florida  Great  Blue  Heron  and  the  Water  Turkey 113 

The  American  Egret 123 

Cuthbert   Rookery    1 35 

PART   IV. 
BAHAMA   BIRD-LIFE 

The   Flamingo    155 

The  Egg  Birds   1Q2 

The  Boobv  and  the  Man-o'-War  Bird .  .  .    200 


x  CONTENTS 

Page 
PART  V. 

THE  STORY  OF  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

The  Prairie  Hen   229 

A  Golden  Eagle's  Nest 236 

Cactus  Desert  Bird-Life   242 

PART  VI. 
BIRD  STUDIES  IN  CALIFORNIA 

The  Coastal  Mountains  at  Piru 259 

The  Coast  at  Monterey 267 

The    Farallones    274 

The  San  Joaquin  Valley  at  Los  Banos 286 

Lower  Klamath  Lake    29* 

The  Sierras    305 

PART  VII. 
BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

The  Prairies    315 

The   Plains 337 

The   Mountains    350 

The    White    Pelican 367 

PART  VIII. 

Impressions  of   English   Bird- Life 391 

INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS    ., 417 

INDEX  TO  TEXT   .  .421 


INTEODUCTION 

I  earnestly  hope  that  the  photographs ,  in  this  volume 
will  so  effectively  illustrate  the  part  the  camera  may  play 
in  definitely  recording  facts  in  bird-life,  that  they  will  stim- 
ulate fresh  interest  in  the  subject  of  bird  photography.  To 
further  this  end  I  add  here  a  word  to  what  I  have  said  on 
the  outfit  of  the  bird  photographer  in  ' '  Bird  Studies  with  a 
Camera". 

So  far  as  cameras  and  lens  are  concerned,  I  have  found 
no  reason  to  change  the  advice  offered  in  that  volume.  I 
still  use  a  reflecting  camera  of  the  "Graflex"  type,  and  also 
a  tripod  camera,  each  with  a  bellows  length  of  fifteen  inches, 
and  carrying  plates  four  by  five  inches. 

With  about  twenty  exceptions  all  the  pictures  in  this 
book  were  made  with  the  lens  described  in  "  Bird  Studies 
with  a  Camera ' '.  It  is  a  Bausch  &  Lomb  Convertible  Series 
Vila  No.  10,  F.  6.  3.,  with  a  focal  length  of  eight  inches,  the 
component  lenses  having  each  a  focal  length  of  fourteen 
inches.  Although  these  single  lenses  are  rated  with  a  speed 
of  only  F.  12.  5.,  I  have  found  no  difficulty  in  making  satis- 
factory pictures  of  birds  in  flight  with  an  exposure  of  one- 
thousandth  of  a  second,  the  lens  being  wide  open. 

The  single  lens  will  not,  of  course,  do  the  work  of  the 
doublet  and,  if  one  can  afford  a  No.  19  lens  of  the  same 
series  with  a  focal  length  of  thirteen  and  one-eighth  inches, 
the  components  being  each  of  twenty -three  and  one-eighth 
inch  focus,  he  will  materially  increase  his  chances  of  suc- 
cess ;  but  were  I  to  be  restricted  to  one  lens  and  one  camera, 
I  should  take  the  lens  first  mentioned,  and  a  camera  of  the 
reflecting  type.  Seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  pictures  in 
this  book  were  made  with  an  outfit  of  this  kind. 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

Of  far  more  importance  than  the  kind  of  camera  or  lens 
is  the  question  of  a  blind  which  will  enable  one,  unseen,  to 
get  and  stay  within  range  of  one 's  subject.  I  frankly  con- 
fess that  when  writing  "Bird  Studies  with  a  Camera",  I 
did  not  appreciate  the  importance  of  this  matter.  If  one 
would  study  the  habits  of  wild  creatures  under  natural  con- 
ditions, it  is  absolutely  essential  that  they  be  unalarmed  by 
your  presence.  The  observer  who  is  content  with  mental 
impressions  and  note-book  descriptions,  may  often  find 
cover  whence,  with  the  aid  of  field-glasses,  he  can  see  to 
advantage  without  the  object  of  his  study  being  aware  of 
his  proximity.  But  he  who  besides  written  descriptions 
would  also  record  his  observations  in  that  more  graphic, 
communicable  form  of  which  photography  admits,  must  be 
much  nearer  his  subject  and  must  have  cover  from  the  shel- 
ter of  which  he  may  manipulate  his  camera  without  being 
detected.  In  short,  he  must  have  an  artificial  blind.  It  is 
the  first  requisite  of  such  a  blind  that  it  be  easily  transport- 
able ;  it  should  also  be  inconspicuous  and  so  simple  in  con- 
struction that  it  may  be  quickly  erected.  The  result  of  my 
first  attempt  (1900)  to  make  a  structure  which  would  fill 
all  these  requirements,  is  shown  on  page  7,  in  the  study  of 
the  Blue  Jays.  It  was  a  ridiculously  complicated  affair  of 
upriarht  sticks  and  iron  hoops,  around  which  was  placed 
a  canvas  painted  in  the  somewhat  distant  semblance  of 
bark.  Ths  affair  was  supposed  to  be  an  imitation  tree 
trunk,  and  illustrates  how  far  one  may  be  carried  on  the 
wrong  road  by  a  false  premise.  The  fundamental  error  in 
this  case  was  the  belief  that  the  blind  must  be  like  some 
object  in  nature.  Asa  matter  of  fact,  this  is  not  necessary. 
It  should  be  as  inconspicuous  as  possible  and  it  is  often 
more  quickly  accepted  if  it  be  partly  disguised  with  bushes 
or  vines.  But  its  chief  virtue  is  its  immovability.  It  may 
excite  suspicion  for  a  time,  but  its  inanimateness  finally 
wins  and,  to  the  birds,  it  becomes  a  part  of  the  landscape  to 
be  perched  on  if  convenient. 


INTRODUCTION 


xiii 


This  at  least  has  been  my  experience  with  the  blind  from 
the  shelter  of  which  more  than  one-half  the  pictures  in  this 
volume  were  made.  In  brief,  this  blind  is  an  umbrella 
opened  within  a  bag  long  enough  to  fall  to  the  ground.  Its 
parts  may  be  described  in  detail  as  follows : 

The  Umbrella.- — The  umbrella  employed  in  making  an 
observation  blind  is  known  to  the  trade  as  a  "sign"  um- 
brella. It  agrees  with  the  normal  variety  in  size  but  differs 
from  it  in  having  a  large  hole  in  the 
centre.  This  permits  a  current  of 
air  to  pass  through  the  blind — a 
matter  of  the  first  importance  when 
one  spends  hours  in  the  little  struc- 
ture on  beach  or  marsh,  where  it  is 
fully  exposed  to  the  sun.  The 
" stick"  of  this  umbrella  is  a  metal 
tube  without  the  usual  wooden 
handle. 

The  Supporting  Rod. — The  um- 
brella is  supported  by  two  brass 
tubes  each  of  the  same  length  as  the 
umbrella,  or  thirty-two  inches.  The 
larger  is  shod  with  a  steel  point,  by 
the  insertion  of  a  small  cold  chisel 
or  nail-punch,  which  is  brazed  in 
position.  The  rod  can  then  be 
readily  driven  into  the  ground.  At 
the  upper  end  a  thumb-screw  is 
placed.  The  smaller  tube  should  enter  the  larger  snugly 
and  should,  in  turn,  be  just  large  enough  to  receive  the  um- 
brella-rod, which  will  enter  it  as  far  as  the  spring  "catch." 
The  height  of  the  umbrella  may,  therefore,  be  governed  by 
the  play  of  the  smaller  tube  in  the  larger,  while  the  thumb- 
screw will  permit  one  to  maintain  any  desired  adjustment ; 
as  one  would  fix  the  height  of  a  music  rack. 

The  Covering. — If  the  blind  is  to  be  used  about  home,  a 


The  Umbrella 
and  Supporting  Rods 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

light  denim  may  be  employed;  if  it  is  to  see  the  harder  ser- 
vice of  travel  and  camp-life,  a  heavier  grade  of  the  same 
material  will  be  found  more  serviceable.  In  the  former  case 
the  denim  may  be  sewed  to  the  edge  of  the  umbrella,  which 
then  has  only  to  be  opened  and  placed  in  the  brass  tube,  the 
latter  having  been  thrust  into  the  ground,  when  the  blind  is 
erected ;  an  operation  requiring  less  than  a  minute. 

When  travelling,  it  seems  more  desirable  not  to  attach 
the  walls  of  the  blind  to  the  umbrella.  The  covering  then 
consists  of  several  strips  of  material  sewed  together  to 
make  a  piece  measuring  ten  and  a  half  feet  wide  by  six  and 
a  half  feet  high.  The  two  ends  of  this  piece  are  sewed  to- 
gether at  what  then  becomes  the  top  of  the  blind,  for  about 
two  feet.  The  unjoined  portion  below,  becomes  the  door  of 
the  blind.  Openings  should  be  cut  in  the  opposite  side  for 
the  lens  and  for  observation.  A  strong  draw  cord  is  then 
run  about  the  top  edge  of  the  cloth  so  that,  before  inserting 
and  opening  the  umbrella,  one  can  draw  it  up  as  one  would 
the  neck  of  a  bag,  until  the  opening  corresponds  in  size  to 
that  of  the  umbrella.  The  draw  cord  should  be  long  enough 
to  serve  as  a  guy  or  stay.  This  covering  places  less  strain 
on  the  umbrella  and  may  be  packed  in  smaller  space  than 
one  which  is  sewed  to  the  umbrella,  and,  when  in  camp,  it 
may  be  used  to  sleep  on,  as  a  covering,  as  a  shelter  tent  or 
in  a  variety  of  ways. 

The  color  of  the  umbrella  should  be  leaf-green.  The 
covering  should  be  sand-  or  earth-colored  and  should  be 
dyed  leaf -green  on  its  upper  third  whence  it  should  gradu- 
ally fade  to  the  original  cloth  color  at  about  the  center. 
Such  a  color  scheme  conforms  to  Abbott  Thayer's  law  that 
animals  are  darkest  where  they  receive  the  most  light,  and 
palest  where  they  are  most  in  shadow ;  and  renders  the  blind 
much  less  conspicuous  than  if  it  were  uniformly  green  or 
gray.  It  is  not  amiss  to  run  belts  of  braid  about  the  cover- 
ing, sewing  them  to  it  at  intervals  and  thus  forming  loops 
in  which,  when  desired,  reeds  or  branches  may  be  thrust. 


INTRODUCTION 


In  erecting  the  blind,  if  circumstances  permit,  it  is  desir- 
able to  place  the  ' '  door ' '  toward  the  wind  to  insure  better 
ventilation.  When  the  situation  is  exposed,  an  additional 
stay  or  two  may  be  required.  If  the  camera  box  is  not 
strong  enough  to  sit  on,  a  collapsible,  artist's  camp-stool 
should  be  added  to  the  outfit.  One  cannot  spend  half  a  day 


The  Umbrella  Blind  at  a  Warbling  Vireo's  Nest 
The  covering  is  here  secured  to  the  edge  of  an  ordinary 
umbrella,     lacking     the     essential     ventilation    hole. 
(Shoal  Lake,  Man.,  June,  1901.     See  p.  319.) 

in  such  close  quarters  and  observe  and  record  to  advantage 
unless  one  is  comfortably  seated. 

Within  the  shelter  of  this  ' '  cloak  of  invisibility, ' '  I  have 
passed  the  most  enjoyable  and,  I  hope,  profitable  hours  of 
my  life  as  a  field  naturalist.  There  is  a  supreme  and  whole- 
some pleasure  in  feeling  that  one  has  reached  a  point  of 
vantage  from  which  the  drama  of  animal  life  may  be  studied 
without  the  performers  knowing  that  they  are  under  obser- 
vation. Wholly  aside  from  the  often  thrilling  novelty  of 


xvi 


INTRODUCTION 


the  experience  and  the  thought  that,  even  if  unconsciously, 
one  has  been  accepted  as  a  part  of  the  surroundings,  there 
is  a  well-founded  satisfaction  in  realizing  that  one  is  making 
an  actual  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  animal  life,  not 
based  on  the  study  of  creatures  in  captivity,  or  of  those 
placed  under  greater  or  less  restraint  by  fear,  but  of  ani- 
mals in  their  native  haunts,  living  their  lives  under  abso- 
lutely natural  conditions. 


'• 


The  Umbi 


H; 


The  cover  is  here  detachable.  In  addition  to  the  guys,  stones  have 
been  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  cover  to  help  stay  the  blind 
in  this  exposed  situation.  (Gardiner's  Island,  June,  1908.  The 
pictures  on  pages  56  and  57  were  made  from  the  blind  in  this 
position.) 


PART  I  . 
TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

THE   WAYS   OP  JAYS 

A   MORNING    WITH    MEADOWLARKS 

BIRD-NESTING   WITH    BURROUGHS 

A   NIGHTHAWK   INCIDENT 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 
INTRODUCTORY. 

The  nature  of  the  work  for  which,  in  the  main,  the  field 
studies  herein  recorded  have  been  made,  has  led  me  to  the 
more  remote  parts  of  our  country  ;  but  I  should  convey  a 
wholly  wrong  impression  of  the  possibilities  of  bird  study, 
if  I  permitted  this  volume  to  appear  without  saying  a  word 
of  the  opportunities  which  lie  within  the  reach  of  the  local 
bird  student. 

Continuous  and  definitely  directed  observation  is  the 
secret  of  success  in  the  study  of  bird-life  ;  and  only  that 
permanency  of  residence  which  permits  us  to  keep  a  close 
watch  on  the  species,  through  the  year,  and  on  the  individ- 
ual through  the  nesting  season,  will  enable  us  to  write  an 
adequate  history  of  its  life. 

I  would  emphasize  the  necessity  of  specialization.  It  may 
almost  be  said  with  truth  that  most  of  our  knowledge  of 
birds  has  been  acquired  by  accident,  so  haphazard  have  been 
our  methods  of  study.  But,  for  this  very  reason,  there  is 
abundant  opportunity  for  the  student  who,  not  content  with 
a  general  knowledge  of  birds,  determines  to  make  himself  an 
authority  on  some  particular  bird,  preferably  the  one  most 
abundant  in  his  own  neighborhood.  If  he  does  justice  to  his 
subject,  he  will  never  lack  an  outlet  for  his  ornithological 
ambitions. 

As  has  been  intimated,  circumstances  have  deprived  me 
of  the  privilege  of  acquiring  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of 
my  own  home  birds  and  I  cannot,  therefore,  present  that  type 
of  bird  biography  which  considers  the  bird  throughout  the 
year  or  during  the  season  of  its  presence.  Nevertheless,  it 


"  With  complete  composure,  perched  beside  her  nest 


(Page  9) 


4  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

is  hoped  that  the  sketches  which  are  here  given,  will  show 
what  interesting  facts  are  to  be  gathered  at  our  doorsteps. 

The  story  of  the  Blue  Jays,  for  example,  reveals  as  much 
of  the  bird  mind  as  any  experience  I  have  had  with  birds. 
The  little  Meadowlark  study  required  greater  effort,  for  a 
time,  than  any  other  described  in  this  volume  and  the  results 
were  valued  proportionately.  The  photographic  record  of 
two  days  at  ' '  Slabsides  ' '  shows  what  interesting  results 
may  be  obtained  both  easily  and  quickly.  In  short,  to  see 
old  birds  in  a  new  light  one  has  only  to  look  at  them  through 
a  camera. 


Brown  Thrasher 


THE  WAYS  OF  JAYS 

If  a  pair  of  Blue  Jays, .  whose  home  I  chanced  to  find 
near  mine,  could  relate  to  us  the  peculiar  adventures  that 
befell  them  one  June  day,  there  would  be  no  excuse  for  my 
assumption  of  the  office  of  scribe.  But  Jays,  in  spite  of  their 
powers  of  expression,  use  only  the  language  of  their  kind,, 
and  if  the  tale  is  to  be  told,  it  must  be  by  an  interpreter. 

Birds  possess  so  many  of  man's  mental  attributes  that 
the  sympathetic  student  of  their  habits  often,  unconsciously 
perhaps,  endows  them  with  the  mind  of  man  entire,  when, 
using  the  human  parallel,  the  explanation  of  their  every  act 
is  merely  a  matter  of  ingenuity  or  imagination.  The  result 
is  often  interesting,  but  quite  as  often  misleading;  good 
fiction,  but  poor  natural  history. 

Now,  the  Blue  Jay  holds  close  kinship  with  the  Raven, 
Jackdaw,  Crow,  and  Rook,  birds  which,  if  classification  were 
based  on  mental  development  alone,  would,  without  dissent, 
be  accorded  a  perch  on  the  topmost  bough  of  the  avian  tree 
of  life.  In  attempting  to  assign  reasons  for  a  Jay's  actions, 
the  ornithologist  is  beset  by  unusual  temptations,  which,  if 
it  be  the  human  side  of  bird  life  that  appeals  to  him,  he  will 
find  difficulty  in  resisting. 

In  the  present  instance,  however,  the  facts  in  the  case  are 
irrefutably  recorded  by  the  camera,  and  the  reader  may 
accept  or  reject  their  explanation  according  to  his  belief  or 
disbelief  in  the  intelligence  of  individual  animals.  Facts 
like  these  emphasize  the  value  of  the  camera  as  an  aid  to  the 
student  of  nature.  How  comparatively  unconvincing  is  the 
work  of  the  artist,  no  matter  how  skilful  his  attempt  to  give 
form  to  something  he  has  never  seen.  It  is  also  to  be  noted, 
how  attempts  to  photograph  birds  and  beasts  of  necessity 
increase  our  intimacy  with  them.  This,  it  is  true,  is  not 


6  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

work  for  the  stroller  and  the  dilettante  naturalist,  whose 
observations  are  made  chiefly  from  the  wayside,  but  for  the 
earnest,  enthusiastic  student  of  nature,  whose  ardor  in  pur- 
suit of  her  secrets  is  intensified  by  the  possibility  of  actually 
capturing  them,  in  such  definite,  graphic  form  that  they 
become  at  once  tangible  additions  to  the  sum  of  human 
knowledge. 

Bird  photography  presents  a  fascinating  but  most  diffi- 
cult field  for  expenditure  of  effort.  The  beginner  sees  the 
successful  results  of  another's  work,  and,  knowing  nothing 
of  the  failures,  determines  to  ' '  take  bird  pictures. ' '  The 
immediate  outcome  is  doubtless  a  sacrifice  of  photographic 
material  and  also  of  bird  life,  as  too  great  freedom  with  the 
nest  surroundings,  in  the  desire  to  secure  better  lighting, 
induces  the  bird  to  desert  her  home. 

The  would-be  photographer,  then,  should  master  the  tech- 
nique of  photography  on  such  patiently  immovable  objects 
as  houses,  barns,  or  bridges,  which  will  give  fresh  ' '  sit- 
tings ' '  when  former  ones  fail,  and  then,  when  the  problems 
of  exposure,  developing,  etc.,  have  been  solved,  he  may  go 
afield  for  wilder  game. 

One  may  pet  or  patronize,  according  to  one 's  nature,  a 
Chipping  Sparrow,  Bluebird,  or  Phoebe,  but  he  is  indeed 
well  coated  with  self-esteem  who  does  not  feel  a  sense  of 
inferiority  in  the  presence  of  a  Jay.  He  is  such  a  shrewd,  in- 
dependent, and  aggressive  creature  that  one  is  inevitably  led 
to  the  belief  that  he  is  more  of  a  success  as  a  bird  than  most 
men  are  as  men.  Conspicuous  by  voice  and  action  during 
the  fall  and  winter,  when  other  birds  are  quietest,  he 
becomes  silent  when  other  birds  are  most  vocal.  If  he  has  a 
love  song  it  is  reserved  for  the  ear  of  his  mate.  At  this  sea- 
son, he  even  controls  his  fondness  for  owl-baiting,  and  with 
it  his  vituperative  gifts. 

The  Eobin,  the  Catbird,  and  the  Thrasher  seem  eager  to 
betray  the  location  of  their  nest  to  every  passer-by,  but  the 
Blue  Jay  gives  no  evidence  of  the  site  of  his  habitation  by 


THE  WAYS  OF  JAYS  7 

being  seen  in  its  vicinity.  He  is  not  common  in  my  region 
during  the  summer,  and,  connecting  this  fact  with  his  secre- 
tive habits,  I  rejoiced  with  a  bird-lover's  joy,  when  syste- 
matic search  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  a  Blue  Jay 's  nest 
five  feet  from  the  ground,  on  the  south  side  of  a  young  pine 
tree.  A  better  location  from  a  bird-photographer's  point  of 
view,  the  birds  could  not  have  chosen. 


The  Blind  and  the  Nest-Tree 

The  surroundings  affording  no  opportunity  for  conceal- 
ment from  which  the  birds  might  be  observed,  an  artificial 
bower  of  canvas,  painted  to  resemble  tree-bark,  stretched 
over  a  light  frame  and  liberally  draped  with  poison-ivy 
vines,  was  erected  within  ten  feet  of  the  nest. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  June  3,  that  I  set  up  my  camera 
in  this  none  too  large  or  too  cool  shelter,  with  the  object  of 
recording  somewhat  of  the  home  life  of  Jays.  An  hour 
passed.  Occasionally  a  Jay's  voice  was  heard  from  the 


8  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

neighboring  wood ;  one  might  have  thought  that  the  nest  in 
the  pine  was  deserted,  had  not  five  gaping  mouths  been  tre- 
mulously raised  at  intervals  in  the  supplicating  attitude  of 
the  young  birds '  prayer  for  food. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  one  of  the  parents  sud- 
denly appeared  at  the  back  of  the  nest.  He,  or  she,  was  evi- 
dently suspicious.  Who  had  parted  the  boughs  that  had 
previously  concealed  their  home1?  What  was  this  mass  of 
disarranged  vines  at  their  threshold?  Clearly  something 
was  wrong,  and  after  a  moment's  stay,  she — if  she  it  was-  - 
slipped  quietly  out  of  the  tree.  Her  alert  but  cautious  man- 
ner seemed  indicative  of  unexpected  powers  of  discrimina- 
tion and  self-control.  She  did  not  voice  her  undoubte-l 
alarm  at  the  changes  observed,  but  without  audible  note, 
departed  as  noiselessly  as  she  had  come. 

Even  more  surprising  were  the  actions  of  the  young 
birds.  That  they  were  exceedingly  hungry  was  beyond 
question.  Doubtless  the  parents,  under  normal  conditions, 
visited  the  nest  every  few  minutes,  and  the  frequency  with 
which  the  yellow-lined  mouths  had  been  opened  during  the 
preceding  hour  and  a  half,  intimated  an  approaching  fam- 
ine. Still,  under  the  stimulus  of  conditions  which  must  have 
strongly  suggested  food,  not  one  of  the  blind,  naked  little 
creatures  gave  evidence  of  life.  It  was  an  impressive  exhi- 
bition of  instinctive  obedience  to  some,  unheard  by  me,  com- 
mand. In  the  parent's  absence,  however,  although  without 
the  incentive  of  her  form  above  them,  they  showed  no  hesi- 
tation in  making  their  wants  known.  Hence  we  may  con- 
clude either  that  the  parents  could  not  communicate  with 
the  young  from  a  distance,  or  that  the  presence  of  one  of  the 
adults  was  necessary  to  insure  obedience. 

Believing  that  the  Jays  would  not  resume  their  family 
cares,  I  determined  to  experiment  with  them,  and  taking  a 
mounted  Blue  Jay,  I  wired  it  to  a  limb  below  the  nest.  Blue 
Jays  are  pugnacious,  and  doubtless  their  anger  at  the  in- 
trusion of  this  stranger  would  outweigh  their  fear  of  the 


THE  WAYS  OF  JAYS  9 

bower,  when  I  should  witness  the  manner  in  which  Jays 
evict  an  unwelcome  guest.  It  was  well  that  my  reputation 
as  a  bird-student  was  not  staked  on  the  result.  Scarcely 
had  I  returned  to  the  bower,  when  one  of  the  Jays  reached 
the  nest,  and,  to  my  complete  astonishment,  apparently  paid 
ho  attention  to  the  mounted  bird,  but  at  once  carefully  fed 
her  young,  whose  eagerness  now  added  to  my  wonder  at 
their  previous  self-restraint.  One  visit,  during  which  sev- 
eral, and  perhaps  all,  of  the  young  were  fed,  strangely 
enough  satisfied  their  hunger,  when  the  parent,  with  com- 
plete composure,  perched  beside  her  nest  and  slightly  open- 
ed her  bill,  as  birds  sometimes  do  when  at  rest,  forming  as 
beautiful  a  picture  of  bird  life  as  artist  or  naturalist  could 
well  desire.  So  completely  had  the  mental  attitude  of  the 
bird  altered,  that  my  movements  in  the  bower  were  wholly 
ignored,  and  it  was  actually  necessary  to  walk  up  to  the 
nest-tree  before  she  could  be  induced  to  leave  her  perch. 

What  had  occasioned  so  complete  a  change  in  the  bird 's 
actions  1  Possibly  it  was  not  the  same  parent  that  had 
visited  the  nest  so  hurriedly ;  but  if  this  one  of  the  pair  was 
so  much  the  tamer,  why  had  it  not  come  to  the  nest  during 
the  hour  and  a  half  after  I  had  entered  the  bower?  Could 
the  dummy  bird  below  have  been  mistaken  for  its  mate  by 
the  bird  that  perched  so  composedly  above?  It  is  true  that 
the  second  one  of  the  pair  did  not  appear ;  but  as  neither  of 
them  went  far  from  the  nest,  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
the  absent  mate  was  within  sight  and  sound  during  the 
whole  proceeding. 

"We  may  resort  to  explanatory  theories  more  or  less 
plausible.  The  humanizer  of  birds  might  ask  us  to  believe 
that  the  dummy  Jay  resembled  a  relative  or  dear  friend  of 
the  nest-owners,  from  whom  they  were  expecting  a  call  that 
morning,  though  to  my  mind,  the  incident  proved  that  the 
Jay  could  not  distinguish  the  difference  between  a  living 
bird  and  a  poorly  mounted  one  of  its  own  species.  However, 
be  the  explanation  what  it  may,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 


10 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 


the  presence  of  that  frowzy,  stuffed  Jay  was  wholly  satisfac- 
tory and  reassuring  to  the  bird  at  the  nest. 

If  these  birds  received  one  of  their  own  kind  so  gracious- 
ly, how  would  they  treat  a  Screech  Owl,  a  bird  which,  as  far 
as  human  mind  can  discern,  is  the  common  enemy  of  all 
Jays?  The  dummy  Jay  was  therefore  removed,  and  a 
mounted  Screech  Owl  was  securely  fastened  about  two  feet 
from  the  nest.  The  Jays  were  not  visible,  but  that  they 
were  watching  my  movements  from  the  neighboring  wood, 

was  shown  by  the  tense 
note  of  alarm  they  uttered 
almost  as  soon  as  the  Owl 
was  posed — a  high,  shrill 
call,  differing  from  any  I 
had  previously  heard. 

The  moment  I  entered 
my  bower,  a  Jay  came  to 
the  nest-tree,  screaming 
in  alarm  at  the  uncon- 
scious, yellow-eyed  bunch 
of  feathers  so  dangerous- 
ly near  its  offspring.  Soon 
it  was  joined  by  its  mate, 
and  with  uncontrolled 
fear  and  excitement  they 
flew  from  limb  to  limb, 
but,  much  to  my  surprise, 
made  no  attempt  to  attack 
or  even  threaten  the  Owl 
and,  after  a  minute  or  two  of  wild  flitting  and  calling,  they 
returned  to  the  woods.  Surely  this  was  enough  to  destroy 
one's  confidence  in  our  supposed  knowledge  of  the  Jay's 
character ;  but  the  birds  soon  further  illustrated  the  danger 
of  theorizing. 

While  the  supposition  credits  them  with  a  power  of  rea- 
soning I  am  not  prepared  to  say  they  possessed,  their  sub- 


From  near-by  limbs  the 
notes  of  defiance  " 


THE  WAYS  OF  JAYS 


11 


sequent  actions  seemed  strongly  to  indicate  that  they  had 
mentally  grappled  with  this  wholly  unexpected  problem 
which  had  so  suddenly  confronted  them,  and,  after  due  con- 
sultation, had  reached  certain  conclusions  upon  which  they 
acted.  In  any  event,  the  incident  serves  well  to  illustrate 
the  ease  with  which  one  uses  the  human  parallel  in  describ- 
ing the  conduct  of  animals,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
sympathetic  observer  eager  to  recognize  human  traits  in 
bird  and  beast — indeed,  to  claim  kinship  with  them. 

In  this  particular  instance  the  Jays  had  already  thorough- 
ly aroused  my  interest,  and  it  needed  little  imagination  to 
put  myself  in  their 
place  and  conjecture 
my  own  actions  if,  with- 
out a  moment's  warn- 
ing, I  should  see  the 
ogre  of  my  tribe,  a 
creature  whose  power 
experience  had  taught 
me  to  fear,  standing  at 
my  threshold.  That  I 
should  for  a  time  lose 
my  self-possession  and 
perhaps  call  aloud  in 
alarm  would  seem 
wholly  natural,  and  in 
view  of  the  superior 
strength  and  armament  of  the  enemy,  it  would  also  be  ex- 
pected that  I  should  consult  the  partner  of  my  joys  and  sor- 
rows, and  now  companion  in  arms,  as  to  the  most  expedient 
method  of  conquering  this  intruder  without  undue  risk. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  after  flying  about  the  nest-tree  for  sev- 
eral minutes  in  the  wildest  and  most  aimless,  and  excited 
manner,  the  birds  deserted  the  place  and  retired  to  the 
woods.  Then  I  heard  them  uttering  for  the  first  time  the  low, 
conversational  eck,  eck,  eck,  note  of  their  kind.  It  is  a  note 


Screaming  in  alarm  " 


12 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 


which  I  have  never  heard  from  a  solitary  Jay,  and  is  prob- 
ably used  for  purposes  of  intercommunication.  One  fre- 
quently hears  it  from  a  party  of  Jays  when  they  are  gather- 
ing chestnuts  or  acorns. 

For  ten  seconds  or  more  the  discussion,  if  discussion  it 
was,  continued,  and  at  the  end  of  this  time  a  plan  of  battle 
had  evidently  been  decided  upon,  which  they  lost  no  time  in 
translating  into  action.  They  returned  to  the  nest-tree,  not 


"  Placed  them  in  a  row  on  the  limb  of  a  neighboring  pine  tree  " 

now  a  screaming  pair  of  excited,  frenzied  birds  which  in  the 
control  of  an  unheard-of  experience  had  completely  lost 
their  heads,  but  two  determined,  silent  creatures,  with  a 
seemingly  well-fixed  purpose.  The  difference  in  their  ac- 
tions, when  the  two  visits  to  the  nest  were  compared,  was  in 
truth  sufficiently  impressive  to  warrant  a  belief  in  the  birds ' 
ability  to  grasp  the  situation  intelligently. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  one  of  the  pair  now  se- 
lected a  perch  above  the  Owl,  paused  only  long  enough  to 


THE  WAYS  OF  JAYS  13 

take  aim,  and  then,  with  a  flash  of  wings,  sprang  at  its  sup- 
posed enemy.  What  followed,  the  camera,  although  set  for 
a  hundredth  part  of  a  second,  failed  definitely  to  record. 
The  heart  of  the  little  pine  seemed  rent  by  the  explosion  of 
a  Blue  J  ay.  It  was  no  feint,  but  a  good,  honest  blow  deliver- 
ed with  all  the  bird 's  force  of  body  and  pinion,  and  the  poor 
little  Owl  was  completely  vanquished,  upset,  at  the  first  on- 
slaught. The  J  ay  had  given  a  most  convincing  exhibition 
of  the  highest  type  of  courage ;  it  had  mastered  its  fears  and 
deliberately  gone  to  battle,  I  felt  like  applauding. 

But  its  troubles  were  not  ended.  This  was  a  peculiar 
kind  of  Owl,  different,  doubtless,  from  any  that  the  J  ay  had 
ever  before  encountered.  It  was  conquered,  but  instead  of 
Hying  away  to  some  dark  nook  to  nurse  its  wounds,  it  per- 
sisted in  remaining  on  the  field,  retaining  its  grasp  of  the 
limb,  not  upright,  however,  but  hanging  upside  down,  as  no 
Owl  was  ever  seen  to  do  before,  and,  indeed,  as  only  wired 
Owls  could.  Such  unheard-of  behavior  excited  the  Jays 
even  more  than  the  Owl 's  first  appearance  and,  from  near- 
by limbs,  they  shrieked  notes  of  defiance  until,  in  mercy  to 
their  throats  and  my  ears,  I  removed  the  cause  of  their 
alarm,  bent  the  branches  back  to  conceal  their  nest,  and  left 
them  to  discuss  their  remarkable  experience  at  their  leisure. 
Ten  days  later,  when  I  parted  the  pine-boughs,  I  could 
with  difficulty  believe  that  I  saw  the  same  nest.  In  place  of 
five  skinny,  naked,  sightless,  squirming  creatures,  were  five 
plump,  well-feathered,  bright-eyed  birds  almost  as  large  as 
their  parents.  They  had  grown  mentally  as  well.  The 
sense  of  fear  had  developed  and,  as  I  looked  at  them,  with  a 
common  impulse  they  jumped  from  the  edge  of  the  nest  and 
fluttered  to  the  ground  below.  Disregarding  the  protests  of 
their  parents,  I  gathered  them  together,  placed  them  in  a 
row  on  the  limb  of  a  neighboring  pine,  and  then  addressed 
them  in  what  I  esteemed  to  be  the  tongue  of  their  tribe. 

Perchance  in  this  narrative  both  the  speech  and  the  ac- 
tions of  Jays  have  been  misinterpreted,  but  in  this  conclud- 


14  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

ing  scene  of  our  relations,  the  most  skeptical  could  not  doubt 
that  I  was  not  only  intelligible,  but  eloquently  expressive,  to 
the  five  birds  on  the  limb,  which,  in  quick  response  to  my 
question,  "Are  you  not  very  hungry?"  lifted  up  their  heads 
in  a  mute  but  unanimous  and  unmistakable  "Yes,  indeed  we 
are." 


"  Yes,  indeed  we  are  " 


A  MORNING  WITH  MEADOWLARKS 

A  field  which  I ' '  sowed  down  ' '  a  year  or  two  ago,  is  con- 
sidered a  failure  by  my  farmer  neighbors ;  but,  if  the  crop  of 
grass  is  poor,  I  have  at  least  raised  a  fine  brood  of  Meadow- 
larks.  For  years  these  birds  have  not  nested  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity  of  my  home,  and  to  have  them  take  their  old 
place  in  the  choir  of  June  songsters,  was  assuredly  as  large 
a  return  as  one  should  expect  from  a  few  pecks  of  hay  seed. 

Although  one  of  the  birds  was  seen  with  nesting  material 
on  May  9,  1908,  so  shy  were  they,  that  their  nest  was  not 
found  until  June  13,  when  it  contained  young  almost  ready 
to  fly.  The  birds  ranged  over  an  area  about  four  hundred 
yards  in  diameter  and,  on  appearing,  even  as  a  casual  strol- 
ler, in  any  part  of  their  territory,  I  was  certain  to  be  greeted 
by  the  dzit  or  yert,  with  the  succeeding  rolling  twitter  of  the 
male 's  alarm  note ;  and  so  evenly  did  he  distribute  his  anxie- 
ty that,  from  his  actions,  I  could  not  have  told  in  what  part 
of  his  habitat  the  nest  was  placed.  But  from  the  conceal- 
ment of  a  cart,  the  food-flight  was  followed,  until  it  led  re- 
peatedly to  a  certain  corner  of  the  new  grass  field,  when  a 
rapid  run,  after  the  bird  was  down,  revealed  as  it  arose,  the 
particular  bunch  of  red-top  which  sheltered  the  domed  nest 
and  its  nearly  fledged  young. 

I  do  not  recall  ever  having  seen  a  photograph  of  a 
Meadowlark  at  its  nest ;  and  the  bird 's  success  in  avoiding 
the  trap  of  the  camera  hunter  is  no  small  tribute  to  the  keen- 
ness of  its  powers  of  observation  and  discrimination. 

That  the  trap  has  been  set,  I  know  from  my  own  experi- 
ence, as  well  as  that  of  others ;  but,  the  birds  are  so  suspici- 
ous, that  the  most  carefully  concealed  camera  near  their 
nest  is  sufficient  to  keep  them  away.  On  May  9,  at  Bloom- 
ington,  Indiana,  I  attempted  to  photograph  a  sitting  Mea- 


16  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

dowlark  and,  although  the  camera  was  so  well  hidden  that 
she  returned  to  her  nest  without  hesitation,  I  could  not  get 
near  enough  to  it  to  make  an  exposure  before  she  left  her 
eggs.  A  thread  over  two  hundred  feet  in  length  was  attach- 
ed to  the  shutter  and  was  so  arranged  that  i  could  reach  the 
end  of  it  without  being  seen  by  the  sitting  bird ;  but  invari- 
ably she  left  her  nest  before  1  reached  that  part  of  the  field 
where  the  thread  was  placed,  and  i  finally  concluded  that 
her  movements  were  governed  by  the  notes  of  the  male,  who, 
ever  on  guard,  uttered  his  alarm  as  soon  as  I  appeared. 

Realizing,  therefore,  that  the  birds  in  the  grass  field 
could  be  studied  at  close  range  only  by  using  the  utmost 
caution,  I  erected  the  umbrella  blind  at  night,  placing  it 
twenty  feet  from  the  nest  and  surrounding  it  with  branches 
of  wild  cherry.  To  further  avoid  arousing  the  birds '  sus- 
picions, I  entered  the  blind  at  3 :30  the  following  morning, 
just  as  the  first  notes  of  the  Eobins '  morning  song  aroused 
the  birds  to  their  matins. 

The  first  sign  of  life  at  the  Meadowlarks '  nest  was  noted 
at  4 :10,  when  the  female,  who  had  evidently  passed  the 
night  with  her  family,  was  seen  cleaning  the  nest — an  ad- 
mirable way,  surely,  to  begin  the  day.  A  moment  later  she 
left  the  nest,  flying  so  near  the  blind  that  I  could  hear  the 
rush  of  her  wings.  The  blind,  therefore,  was  accepted  with- 
out question  as  a  feature  of  the  landscape.  It  had  been 
erected  without  alarming  the  birds ;  I  had  entered  it  un- 
seen ;  it  was  wholly  without  human  associations  and  as  an 
inanimate  object  did  not  arouse  the  birds'  suspicions. 

At  4 :25,  the  female  returned  with  food  and,  from  this 
time  until  6 :34,  she  visited  the  nest  sixteen  times,  on  each 
occasion  feeding  one  bird  and  occasionally  two,  and  with 
one  exception,  always  inspecting  the  nest  and  taking  with 
her  the  sac-enveloped  excreta,  which,  if  left,  would  soon 
have  rendered  the  nest  uninhabitable. 

The  male,  from  his  favorite  perch  on  a  red  cedar  in  the 
neighboring  fence-row,  greeted  the  female  on  her  first  jour- 


A  MORNING  WITH  MEADOWLARKS 


17 


"  The  male  started  nervously  " 

ney  from  the  nest,  by  beginning  to  sing  at  4 :20.  From  this 
time  until  6 :43,  he  sang  almost  continuously,  when,  his 
morning  devotions  being  concluded,  he  joined  his  mate  in 
the  more  practical  work  of  grub-hunting. 

Between  6 :43  and  11 :05,  when  I  left  the  blind,  the  birds 
visited  the  nest  forty  times.  Almost  invariably  the  male, 
on  leaving,  flew  directly  to  one  of  his  several  song  perches, 


18 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 


and  sang  from  five  to  seven  times  before  searching  for 
food ;  but,  in  spite  of  this  handicap,  he  fed  the  young  as  of- 
ten as  the  female,  both  making  twenty  visits.  The  female, 
unaided,  thus  fed  the  young  at  the  rate  of  about  once  in 
eight  minutes  but  when  both  sexes  were  at  work,  the  rate 
was  increased  to  once  every  six  and  a  half  minutes. 


Inspection  After  Feeding 

There  was  a  more  or  less  regular  alternation  of  sexes  in 
the  visits  to  the  nest  but,  in  three  instances,  both  the  male 
and  female  visited  the  nest  twice  in  succession.  On  only  two 
occasions  did  the  parents  meet  at  the  nest ;  once  they  came 
together  when  the  male  fed  first  and  flew  away,  and  once  the 
female  came  just  as  the  male  was  leaving.  In  each  case  he 
greeted  her  with  a  bit  of  song  as  he  left,  and  this  was  at 


A  MORNING  WITH  MEADOWLARKS  19 

once  followed  by  the  full  song  from  one  of  the  fence-row 
perches ;  those  two  were  the  only  times  when  he  uttered  a 
note  near  the  nest. 

The  birds  dropped  down  to  the  nest  from  above,  and  al- 
ways departed  toward  the  east.  They  came  and  went  free- 
ly, without  hesitation,  and  were  evidently  acting  in  a  whol- 
ly natural  manner.  Still,  they  were  never  off  guard,  but 
were  keen  and  alert,  as  though  living  in  the  enemy's  coun- 
try. A  gentle  snap  of  the  fingers  was  sufficient  to  alarm 
them,  and  the  male  started  nervously  at  an  insignificant 
noise  made  near  my  house,  two  hundred  yards  away. 

It  was  deemed  unwise  to  remove  much  of  the  grass  con- 
cealing the  nest,  and  the  pictures  do  not,  therefore,  show 
the  young.  The  following  day  they  had  gone.  The  male 
continued  to  sing  until  early  August,  and  I  imagine  that  a 
second  brood  was  reared. 


BIRD-NESTING  WITH  BURROUGHS 

When  two  men  whose  combined  years  exceed  five-score, 
can  go  a-bird-nesting  with  an  enthusiasm  which  knows  no 
decrease,  and  count  mere  discovery  a  sufficient  reward  for 
hours  of  searching,  the  occupation  is  evidently  worthy  of 
investigation  by  every  boy  who  would  prolong  his  youth. 

I  say  boy  advisedly,  for  the  bird-nesting  habit  is  not  to 
be  acquired  in  later  life,  and,  indeed,  had  better  never  be  ac- 
quired at  all  if  its  object  be  the  taking  of  the  nests  and  eggs. 
One  does  not  search  for  a  new  or  beautiful  flower  to  uproot 
and  destroy  it,  but  to  admire  it,  and  to  cherish  the  memory 
of  its  perfections  until,  with  returning  spring,  it  renews  it- 
self and  our  delight  in  its  existence. 

Bird-nesting,  then,  does  not  mean  egg-collecting.  The 
latter  holds  no  antidote  for  age,  but  loses  its  powers  as  grat- 
ified desire  checks  species  after  species  off  the  list,  or  in- 
creasing years  bring  a  realization  of  its  folly. 

Your  true  bird-nester  values  his  good  fortune  too  high- 
ly to  rob  the  nest  and  himself  at  the  same  time.  The  dis- 
covery of  a  bird's  nest  is  the  discovery  of  a  bird's  home 
with  all  the  fascinating  possibilities  attending  the  study  of 
a  bird's  home  life.  It  is  an  event.  One  never  forgets  the 
circumstances  attending  the  finding  of  any  but  the  common- 
est birds '  nests.  The  species  then  becomes  the  individual. 
One  may  claim  an  actual  acquaintance  in  the  bird  world  and 
perhaps  establish  personal  relations  with  some  feathered 
neighbor,  whose  family  affairs  become  matters  with  which 
he  is  intimately  concerned. 

Furthermore,  that  almost  universal  heritage,  the  hunt- 
ing instinct,  finds  a  natural  outlet  in  bird-nesting.  The 
farmer's  boy  who  hunts  hens 'nests  just  to  triumph  over 
some  particular  fowl  whose  eggs  have  long  defied  search, 


BIRD-NESTING  WITH  BURROUGHS  21 

exhibits,  in  primitive  form,  the  motive  which  impels  one 
again  and  again  to  look  for  the  nest  of  a  more  or  less  com- 
mon bird  whose  home  has  been  discovered  many  times  be- 
fore. And,  finally,  as  Mr.  Burroughs  has  said,  ''Bird-nest- 
ing is  by  no  means  a  failure  even  though  you  find  no  birds ' 
nests.  You  are  sure  to  find  other  things  of  interest,  plenty 
of  them." 


A  Phoebe's  Nesting-sites 

Perhaps,  after  all,  this  is  the  secret  of  the  perennial 
charm  of  bird-nesting.  The  discovery  of  the  nest  is  only 
the  crowning  event  of  a  quest  which  has  been  filled  with 
pleasant  incidents.  Certain  it  is  that  in  the  outing  here 
briefly  described,  there  were  ' '  other  things  of  interest ' '  be- 
sides birds' nests  and  "plenty  of  them,"  too.  First  among 
them  was  the  presiding  genius  of  "Slabsides;"  one  could 
not  imagine  a  fitter  companion  with  whom  to  go  a-nesting ; 
for,  be  the  paradox  especially  noted,  the  enjoyments  of 
nest-hunting  are  doubled  when  you  halve  them. 

Then  there  was  Slabsides  itself,  ideal  haunt  for  man  and 
bird,  and  round  about  were  inviting  wooded  hills,  with  here 
and  there  cultivated  valleys  between  them  and,  not  far 
away,  fields  and  orchards. 

Through  these  pleasantly  varied  surroundings,  on  the 
morning  of  June  16,  1900,  we  wandered,  visiting  old  ac- 
quaintances as  well  as  searching  for  new  ones.  It  was  not 
to  be  expected  that  a  passing  tour  of  observation  and  inves- 


22 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 


tigation  should  yield  results  of  unusual  interest  or  scienti- 
fic value,  and  I  have  nothing  more  important  to  record  than 
the  mere  joy  of  seeing  and  discovering  objects  which  never 
fail  to  excite  a  bird-lover 's  enthusiasm ;  with  the  added  sat- 
isfaction of  being  able,  in  some  instances,  to  picture  far 
more  graphically  than  could  be  done  with  pen  alone,  the 
scenes  from  bird-life  which  are  here  presented. 

The  difference  between  casual  and  continuous  observa- 
tion is  eloquently  illustrated  by  our  comparative  knowledge 


"She  was  peacefully  sitting" 

of  the  first  bird  we  visited — the  Phoebe.  To  me,  she  was  in- 
teresting simply  as  a  Phoebe  who  had  occupied  a  new  nest- 
ing-site the  first  season  it  was  available,  and  already  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  man  that  she  permitted  herself  to 
be  photographed  at  short  range ;  but  this  was  only  the  final 
incident  in  her  known  history. 

For  a  number  of  years,  so  Mr.  Burroughs  tells  us  in 
' '  Bird-Lore, ' '  a  pair  of  Phoebes,  presumably  the  birds  in 
question,  had  occupied  a  nesting-site  beneath  a  rocky 
ledge,  at  the  side  of  the  valley  in  which  Slabsides  hides. 
The  present  year,  they  returned  as  usual  and,  when  the 


BIRD-NESTING  WITH  BURROUGHS  23 

eggs  were  laid,  Mr.  Burroughs  permitted  a  boy  visitor  to 
take  one  for  his  collection.  Whether  this  fact  was  in 
any  way  connected  with  the  fate  of  the  nest  or  not  is  un- 
known, but,  it  is  certain  that  the  remaining  eggs  were  soon 
missing  and  the  nest  deserted. 

Shortly,  they  selected  a  new  home  on  the  horizontal 
beam  of  the  piazza  of  a  recently  erected  dwelling  overlook- 


Landlord  and  Tenant 

ing  the  valley.  Here,  the  rafters  divided  the  beam  into  ten 
spaces,  all  of  which,  to  the  Phoebe,  evidently  looked  alike. 
She  began  a  nest  in  one  of  these  spaces,  but  on  returning 
with  more  building  material,  missed  her  aim,  so  to  speak, 
and  began  a  second  nest  in  another  space.  This  mistake 
was  repeated  until  the  bird  had  five  nests  in  process  of  con- 
struction at  the  same  time.  Probably  she  would  not  have 
completed  any  one  of  them,  if  Mr.  Burroughs  had  not  cover- 
ed four  with  stones.  The  bird  was  then  forced  to  focus  on 
the  fifth,  which  she  eventually  finished  and  on  which  she  was 
peacefully  sitting  at  the  time  of  my  visit. 


"  In  the  low  sweeping  limb  of  an  apple  tree  " 


BIRD-NESTING  WITH  BURROUGHS  25 

Doubtless  Mr.  Burroughs  could  have  given  equally  in- 
teresting accounts  of  other  of  his  bird  neighbors  to  whom  he 
introduced  me  that  day  and  the  next,  and  whose  portraits  I 
present  with  only  passing  comment. 

The  Hummer,  for  instance,  which,  with  rare  considera- 
tion for  the  needs  of  bird  photography,  had  placed  her  nest 
in  the  low  sweeping  limb  of  an  apple  tree,  was  an  old  ac- 
quaintance of  his,  and  no  detail  of  her  domestic  affairs,  from 


; 

Hummer  Feeding  Young 

the  building  of  the  nest  to  the  appearance  of  the  young,  had 
escaped  him.  Acquaintance,  I  say,  rather  than  a  friend,  for 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  her  nest  was  within  a  few  feet  of  a 
pathway,  the  suspicious  little  creature  invariably  darted 
from  it  whenever  any  one  approached  within  twenty  feet  of 
her.  However,  she  returned  in  four  or  five  minutes,  some- 
times alighting  and  settling  in  the  nest  as  though  with  one 
movement,  at  others  perching  on  its  edge,  when  the  two  sur- 
prisingly short  bills  of  her  half -fledged  young  could  be  seen 
projecting  slightly  beyond  the  rim  of  their  downy  home. 
This  pose  preceded  what  Mr.  Torrey  has  so  well  described 
as  the  "frightful  looking  act"  of  feeding,  of  which  the  ac- 
companying picture  shows  the  attitude  assumed  by  the  par- 
ent. 


26  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

Just  at  this  point  I  take  occasion  to  introduce  a  picture 
made  later  in  the  season,  of  a  Hummer  poised  before  a  flower. 
It  serves  very  well  to  represent  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Bur 
roughs '  bird  while  visiting  his  honeysuckles,  gathering  food 
for  her  young.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  filmy  halo,  con 
stituting  the  wings  of  the  Hummer  in  flight,  does  not  appear 
in  this  picture ;  nevertheless  the  exposure  was  made,  if  my 
focal-plane  shutter  scale  does  not  prevaricate,  in  less  than 
an  eight-hundredth  part  of  a  second. 


Paused  before  a  flower 


On  one  occasion,  we  observed  another  Hummer  in  the 
vicinity ;  the  bird  flew  directly  up  to  the  one  on  the  nest,  and 
evidently  looked  her  straight  in  the  eyes,  but  for  so  small  a 
fragment  of  time  that  we  do  not  know  whether  it  was  male 
or  female.  At  any  rate,  the  stranger  seemed  to  be  quite  fa 
miliar  with  the  air-line  to  the  nest,  though,  as  Mr.  Bur 
roughs  said,  it  is  possible  that  Hummers  may  have  an  eye 
for  Hummers '  nests. 


BIRD-NESTING  WITH  BURROUGHS 


27 


Far  less  approachable  was  a  Flicker,  which  when  we 
tapped  gently  at  the  base  of  her  home  in  an  old  cherry  stub, 
left  the  exit  above,  with  a  precipitation  defying  the  speed  ot 
a  lens  shutter.  While  technically  a  failure,  the  picture  of 
her  hasty  departure,  nevertheless,  forms  an  interesting 
study  in  the  use  of  the  wing  in  flight.  It  will  be  observed 
that,  although  a  third  of  the  bird  still  remains  in  the  hole, 
the  wing  is  extended  to  a  surprising  degree  and  is  already 
in  motion,  as  is  shown  by  the  failure  of  the  lens  to  record 


nicker  Leaving  Nest 

the  outer  primaries  while  securing,  with  some  detail,  an  out 
line  of  the  secondaries.  Indeed,  the  evidently  much  highei 
speed  with  which  the  primaries  were  being  moved,  togethei 
with  the  space  shown  in  the  picture  between  the  outermost 
secondary  and  innermost  primary,  suggest  the  possibility  of 
an  independent  movement  of  the  distal  portion  of  the  wing 
A  close  examination  of  the  negative  shows  that  the  outei 


28 


TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 


primaries  are  spread  out  fan-like,  to  such  an  extent  as  to  be 
in  contact  only  at  their  bases.  Profiting  by  experience,  this 
bird  subsequently  left  her  tree  before  one  could  approach 
near  enough  to  plant  a  camera. 

The  following  morning  was  devoted  to  securing  the  pic- 
ture of  a  Scarlet  Tanager,  whose  home  had  been  discovered 
by  a  good  type  of  the  all-seeing  farmer 's  boy.  Neither  con- 
ditions of  location,  site,  nor  light  were  favorable,  and  after 
the  camera  had  been  fastened  in  the  apple  tree  which  the 
birds  had  selected  for  a  home,  it  was  found  necessary  to 
build  a  blind  of  bushes  beneath  a  neighboring  tree,  whence 
the  photographer  could  not  see  his  subject.  From  a  distance, 
therefore,  with  the  aid  of  a  glass,  Mr.  Burroughs  kept  watch 
and  gave  word  when  the  exposure  was  to  be  made. 


Male  Scarlet  Tanager  About  to  Feed  Young 


A  NIGHTHAWK  INCIDENT 

A  discussion  of  the  specific  distinctness  of  the  Whip- 
poor-will  and  the  Nighthawk,  following  an  address  to  Con- 
necticut agriculturists,  some  years  ago,  led  to  my  receipt  the 
following  July,  of  an  invitation  from  a  gentleman  who  had 


NigMhawk  and  Young 

been  present,  to  come  and  see  a  bird,  then  nesting  on  his 
farm,  which  he  believed  combined  the  characters  of  both 
the  Whip-poor-will  and  Nighthawk ;  in  short,  was  the  bird 
to  which  both  these  names  applied. 

Tempted  by  the  opportunity  to  photograph  the  bird,  as 
well  as  to  establish  its  identity,  I  boarded  an  early  train  for 
Stevenson,  Connecticut,  armed  with  Museum  specimens  of 


SO  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

the  Nighthawk  and  Whip-poor-will  as  well  as  the  necessary 
photographic  apparatus. 

The  former  were  accepted  as  incontrovertible  evidence 
and  my  host  readjusted  his  views  as  to  the  status  of  the 
birds  which  they  represented.  We  may,  therefore,  at  once 
turn  our  attention  to  the  Nighthawk  which  was  sitting  pati 
ently  on  a  bit  of  granite  out  in  the  hay  fields.  The  sun  was 


"  Spread  herself  out  on  the  grass  at  my  feet " 

low  when  we  reached  the  flat  rock  where  she  had  been  lasl 
seen,  and  on  which  her  eggs  had  been  laid  and  her  young 
hatched,  but  a  fragment  of  egg-shell  was  the  only  evidence 
that  the  bare-looking  spot  had  once  been  a  bird's  home.  The 
grass  had  lately  been  mowed  and  there  was  no  immediately 
surrounding  cover  in  which  the  bird  might  have  hidden.  II 
is  eloquent  testimony  of  the  value  of  her  protective  coloring 
therefore,  that  we  almost  stepped  on  the  bird,  which  had 
moved  to  a  near-by  flat  rock. 

Far  more  convincing,  however,  was  her  faith  in  her  OWE 
invisibility.  Even  the  presence  of  a  dog  did  not  tempt  her 
to  flight,  and  when  the  camera  was  erected  on  its  tripod 
within  three  feet  of  her  body,  squatting  so  closely  to  its 
rocky  background,  her  only  movement  was  that  which  was 


A  NIGHTHAWK  INCIDENT  31 

occasioned  by  her  rapid  breathing.  Another  cause,  how- 
ever, beside  the  belief  in  her  own  inconspicuousness  held  her 
to  the  rock ;  one  little  downy  chick  nestled  at  her  side,  and 
with  instinctive  obedience  it  was  as  motionless  as  its  parent. 


Nighthawk  on  Fence 

So  they  sat  while  picture  after  picture  was  made  from 
various  points  of  view,  there  being  no  movement,  until  the 
parent  was  lightly  touched,  when,  starting  quickly,  she 
spread  her  long  wings  and  sailed  out  over  the  fields.  Doubt- 
less she  was  startled  and  deserted  her  young  under  the  im- 
pulse of  sudden  fear.  But  in  a  few  seconds  she  recovered 
herself  and,  circling,  returned  and  spread  herself  out  on  the 
grass  at  my  feet.  Then  followed  the  evolutions  common  to 
so  many  birds  but  wonderful  in  all.  With  surprising  skill 
in  mimicry,  the  bird  fluttered  painfully  along,  ever  just  be- 
yond my  reach  until  it  had  led  me  a  hundred  feet  or  more 
from  its  young,  and  then,  the  feat  evidently  successful,  it 
sailed  away  again,  to  perch  first  on  a  fence  and  later  on  a 


32  TRAVELS  ABOUT  HOME 

limb  in  characteristic,  lengthwise,  Nighthawk  attitude. 
How  are  we  to  account  for  the  development  in  so 
birds  of  what  is  now  a  common  habit?  Ducks,  Snipe,  Grouse. 
Doves,  some  ground-nesting  Sparrows  and  Warblers,  ana 
many  other  species,  also  feign  lameness,  with  the  object  ot 
drawing  a  supposed  enemy  from  the  vicinity  of  their  nest 
or  young.  With  each  one  there  is  the  most  admirable  ad- 
justment of  means  to  the  end.  Hasten  your  pace  and  the  bird 
hastens  hers ;  slacken  yours  and  the  bird  goes  slower.  She 
is  always  at  your  finger  tips.  She  takes  the  utmost  possible 
risk  in  the  eff ort  to  deceive  you  into  believing  that  at  the 
next  step  the  prize  is  yours.  Are  we  to  believe  that  each  in 
dividual  who  so  cleverly  opposes  strategy  to  force  does  so 
intelligently?  Or  are  we  to  believe  that  the  habit  has  been 
acquired  through  the  agency  of  natural  selection  and  is  no\v 
purely  instinctive  f 


In  characteristic,  lengthwise,  Nighthawk  attitude.' 


PART    II. 

THE     BIRD-LIFE     OF     TWO     ATLANTIC     COAST 
ISLANDS 

GARDINER'S  ISLAND 
COBB'S  ISLAND 


First-growth   Oak   Forest  on  Gardiner's  Island 


THE  BIRD-LIFE  OF  TWO  ATLANTIC 

COAST  ISLANDS 
WITH  A  WORD  ON  ISLAND  BIRD,-LIFE 

INTRODUCTORY 

So  far  as  my  experience  goes,  all  colonial,  ground-nest- 
ing birds  breed  only  on  islands.  Among  North  American 
species  this  is  true  of  the  Auks,  Murres,  Puffins,  Guillemots, 
Gulls,  Terns,  Skimmers,  Petrels,  Tropic  Birds,  Gannets, 
Cormorants,  Pelicans,  and  Flamingos.  Bank  Swallows 
alone  might  be  excepted. 

With  many  Loons,  all  Grebes,  Coots,  Gallinules,  Cranes, 
Black  Terns,  and  some  Ducks,  the  nest  is  placed  in  the  wa- 
ter and  is  an  island  in  itself. 

While  many  of  these  birds  are  born  feathered  and  leave 
the  nest  shortly  after  hatching,  they  are  dependent  on  their 
parents  for  food  until  they  acquire  the  power  of  flight.  But 
terrestrial  nesting  habits  and  a  period  of  helplessness  on 
the  ground,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  nest,  do  not  in  them- 
selves require  the  protection  of  insular  life.  Ducks,  Snipes, 
Plovers,  Rails,  all  gallinaceous  birds,  Goatsuckers,  Larks, 
Pipits,  many  Sparrows,  some  Warblers  and  Thrushes  nest 
on  the  ground ;  and  with  the  last  five  groups  mentioned  the 
young  are  born  naked  and  are  reared  in  the  nest. 

It  is,  therefore,  more  to  that  gregariousness  which  brings 
great  numbers  of  birds  of  one  species  into  limited  area  to 
breed,  rather  than  to  the  nature  of  the  nesting-site  or  the 
condition  of  the  young  at  birth,  that  we  must  attribute  the 
necessity  for  an  island  home.  Birds  of  colonial  habit  lay  all 
their  eggs,  so  to  speak,  in  one  basket.  During  the  nesting 
season,  the  individuals  of  a  wide  area  are  focussed  in  a 


36  ISLAND  BIRD-LIFE 

small  space.  To  find  one  nest  means,  practically,  to  find  all. 
To  a  large  extent,  the  lot  of  one  is  the  fortune  of  its  neigh- 
bors. 

Weasels  may  find  one  or  more  nests  of  Sandpipers  or 
Sparrows  in  Massachusetts,  and  devour  the  contents  with- 
out materially  affecting  the  status  of  the  species  in  that 
state  but  the  same  animals  on  Penikese  or  Muskeget,  would, 
in  time,  doubtless  anihilate  the  Terns  which  nest  there. 

Wild  cats,  in  Florida,  probably  never  miss  an  opportun- 
ity to  capture  a  sitting  Wild  Turkey,  but  there  is  no  evidence 
to  show  that  the  numbers  of  Wild  Turkeys  in  the  state  has 
ever  been  seriously  affected  by  this  habit.  The  same  ani- 
mals, however,  on  Pelican  Island  would  soon  put  an  end  to 
all  the  breeding  Pelicans  of  eastern  Florida. 

Even  with  arboreal  species,  gregariousness,  while  nest- 
ing, often  appears  to  require  some  form  of  insular  isola- 
tion ;  and  we  usually  find  colonies  of  Cormorants,  Anhingas, 
Spoonbills,  Ibises  and  Herons,  breeding  on  islands  or  in 
trees  which  are  growing  in  water  and  are  themselves  is- 
lands. 

When,  therefore,  we  review  the  islands  of  our  Atlantic 
Coast,  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Florida  Keys, 
we  will  not  be  surprised  to  discover  how  many  birds,  which, 
widely  distributed  at  other  times  of  the  year,  owe  their  ex- 
istence to  the  protection  island  life  has  accorded  them  in  the 
nesting  season. 

On  the  Bird  Kocks  and  Bonaventure  are  found  our  sole 
remaining  Gannets  (Sula  bassana);  on  Old  Man's  Island, 
off  the  Maine  coast,  are  the  only  Eiders  nesting  in  the  Unit- 
ed States ;  Penikese  and  Muskeget  held  for  a  time  our  only 
large  colonies  of  Terns ;  Martha 's  Vineyard  shelters  the  last 
of  the  Heath  Hens  and  the  only  Least  Terns  known  north  of 
the  Carolinas ;  Gardiner 's  Island  is  distinguished  by  its  Pip- 
ing Plover  and  Black  Ducks ;  Cobb  's  Island  has  almost  the 
last  of  the  Gull-billed  Terns,  and  Pelican  Island  has  the  only 
nesting  Pelicans  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Florida. 


ISLAND  BIRD-LIFE  37 

Some  of  these  islands  are  mere  rocks  or  sandbars,  with 
few  or  no  human  inhabitants  and  consequently  by  just  so 
much,  are  the  more  habitable  for  birds.  But  if  we  should  ex- 
tend our  survey  to  those  larger  bodies  of  land  on  which  true 
island  conditions  exist,  we  should  find  the  results  of  this  pro- 
tecting influence  even  more  strongly  manifested,  as  where  a 
family  has  been  preserved  in  the  Greater  Antilles  or  an  en- 
tire fauna  in  Australia. 

Long-continued  insular  isolation,  often  under  special 
conditions  of  environment,  has  resulted  in  the  development 
of  new  species.  We  shall  find  evidences  of  this  kind  of  evo- 
lution in  the  Bahamas,  but  northward  on  our  coast,  if  we  ex- 
cept certain  slightly  differentiated  forms  in  the  Bermudas, 
only  Sable  Island,  off  Nova  Scotia,  appears  to  have  pro- 
duced a  bird  of  its  own ;  the  Ipswich  Sparrow  being  restrict- 
ed to  this  islet,  where  possibly  it  represents  the  Savanna 
Sparrow  of  the  mainland. 

Not  only  new  species  but  new  habits  may  arise  on  is- 
lands. Environment  is  the  mold  in  which  habit  is  cast,  and 
such  variations  in  the  mold  as  may  readily  occur  on  islands 
are  quickly  reflected  in  its  product.  The  nest-building'  habits 
of  the  Ospreys  on  Gardiner's  Island,  and  of  the  Pelicans  on 
Pelican  Island,  are  cases  in  point. 

Of  the  two  islands  whose  bird-life  is  sketched  beyond, 
one  is  comparatively  large  with  diversified  topography  and 
flora  and  correspondingly  rich  avifauna ;  the  other  is  small 
and  composed  of  only  beach  and  marsh,  but  both  show  the 
preserving  powers  of  insular  life,  by  the  presence  on  them 
of  birds  which  have  virtually  ceased  to  breed  in  the  adjoin- 
ing regions. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND 

Morton  wrote  of  New  England  birds  in  1632,  of  "cranes 
there  are  a  great  store  they  sometimes  eate  our 

corne  and  doe  pay  for  their  presumption  well  enough  * 
a  goodly  bird  in  a  dishe  and  no  discomodity. "  Of  "swan- 
nes, ' '  this  early  natural  historian  tells  us,  ' ;  there  was  a 
great  store  at  the  seasons  of  the  year. ' '  Other  water-fowl 
there  were  in  countless  myriads,  and  among  them  were  Lab- 
rador Ducks,  White  Pelicans,  and,  not  improbably,  Great 
Auks.  Trees  fell  beneath  the  weight  of  roosting  Wild  Pig- 
eons, which,  in  flight,  darkened  the  air,  and,  in  proper  locali- 
ties, Heath  Hens,  the  eastern  Prairie  Chicken,  abounded. 

It  was  not  a  day  when  close  attention  was  paid  to  natur- 
al science,  and  we  shall  never  definitely  know  the  conditions 
of  bird  and  mammal  life  which  existed  at  the  time  this 
country  was  colonized ;  but,  from  records  similar  to  those 
which  Morton  and  others  have  left  us,  we  gather  that  sur- 
prising changes  have  occurred  in  the  character  of  our  bird- 
life  during  the  past  three  hundred  years.  Not  only,  as  we 
know  too  well  in  our  own  generation,  have  many  species  be- 
come greatly  reduced  in  numbers,  but  others  have  totally 
disappeared,  or  are  seen  only  at  long  intervals  as  waifs 
from  some  region  in  which  they  have  not  as  yet  become  ex- 
terminated. 

The  present-day  ornithologist  reads  the  time-discolored 
pages  of  these  pioneers  with  the  keenest  regret  that  the 
scenes  they  describe  can  never  be  observed  again.  Imagine, 
then,  my  exultation  on  discovering  that,  within  one  hundred 
miles  of  our  most  populous  city,  there  is  still  a  considerable 
area  where,  if  there  is  not  a  "great  store  of  cranes,"*  the 


*  Morton  wrote  of  a  true  Crane  of  the  genus  Grus;  not  of  our  Great  Blue  Heron 
(Ardea  herodias)  to  which  the  name  "  Crane"  is  often  applied. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  39 

existing  conditions  are  so  unlike  those  commonly  prevailing 
throughout  the  surrounding  region,  that  the  observer  may 
easily  fancy  himself  transported  to  the  early  part  of  the 
last  century. 

Only  an  island  could  so  actively  play  the  part  of  pre- 
server. No  fence,  no  trespass  sign,  no  warden  is  so  effective 
as  several  miles  of  deep  water.  Of  no  less  importance,  in 
the  present  instance,  is  the  possession  and  occupation  of  this 
fair  land  by  but  one  family,  its  descendents  and  dependents, 
since  Lion  Gardiner  purchased  it  from  its  red-skinned  own- 
ers in  1637,  for,  it  is  said,  "  ten  coats  of  trading  cloath." 
Here,  then,  is  the  prime  requisite  of  isolation  rendered  po- 
tent and  continuous  by  sympathetic  guardianship. 

Seven  miles  from  end  to  end  and,  in  the  middle,  one- 
third  as  broad,  Gardiner's  Island  contains  4000  acres;  an 
area  more  than  sufficient  to  supply  the  needs  of  its  occu- 
pants, and  large  tracts  are  still  in  a  primitive  condition.  We 
have,  then,  the  advantages  resulting  from  nature  primeval 
as  well  as  those  arising  from  man's  cultivation.  The  first 
is  represented  by  shell-strewn  beaches,  grassy  marshes  mir- 
rored with  ponds  and  seamed  with  inflowing  arms  of  the 
sea ;  rolling  plains,  dense  thickets  of  cedar,  bay  berry,  and 
cat  brier ;  magnificent  first-growth,  hard  wood  forests,  now 
high  and  dry,  now  watered  by  singing  brooks,  again  low  and 
swampy  with  luxuriant  vegetation  and  green-coated  pools. 
On  the  other  hand,  man's  presence  is  made  manifest  by 
abundant  crops  of  grains  and  fruits,  of  which  the  birds  reap 
a  by  no  means  undeserved  share. 

With  these  benefits,  conferred  by  man,  are  none  of  the 
ills  which  invariably  follow  him.  There  are  no  rats  in  this 
island  Eden  and,  more  astonishing  still, there  are  no  cats,  the 
ogres  of  the  bird-world.  No  less  remarkable,  and  perhaps 
an  accompaniment  of  insularity,  is  the  absence  of  foxes, 
minks,  weasels,  opossums,  red  squirrels  and  chipmunks,  all 
natural  enemies  of  birds,  and  when  the  Fish  Hawks  come 
in  the  spring,  virtually  all  other  Hawks  depart.  In  short, 


40  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

this  island  is  an  ideal  resort  for  the  fowl  of  land  or  water — 
a  place  of  peace  and  plenty — and  only  those  factors  which 
impel  migration  amongst  most  of  our  birds,  and  consequent 
exposure  to  an  endless  series  of  dangers,  have  prevented  it 
from  becoming  a  vast  aviary. 

Fortunately  removed  from  beaten  paths  of  travel,   one 
cannot  buy  an  " excursion  ticket"   to  this  Island  of  Birds 


The  Signal  at  the  Fireplace 

but,  journeying  part  of  the  way  by  train,  one  must  secure 
such  conveyance  as  his  alighting  place  affords,  and  drive 
seven  miles  over  country  roads  and  grassy  lanes  to  a  look- 
out point  where  his  haven  marks  the  horizon  three  miles 
across  the  waters.  Here,  at  the  Fireplace,  as  it  is  called  lo- 
cally and  on  the  larger  maps  of  Long  Island,  I  enlisted  in 
my  earlier  visits,  the  services  of  the  official  fire-maker,  to 
build  a  fire  whose  smoke  should  give  notice  of  a  visitor  to 
the  island  beyond.  The  office  is  hereditary  and  had  been 
held  by  the  man 's  great  grandfather  before  him.  Shortly 
a  dense  cloud  arose  from  a  smudge  of  hay  and  seaweed  and 
was  blown  landward  by  the  breezes  from  the  Montauk.  In 
time  came  the  answering  signal,  a  flash  of  light  from  shin- 
ing tin,  gleaming  intermittently  like  the  rays  of  an  arc-light, 
and  shortly,  through  one 's  glasses,  a  boat  was  seen  crossing 
the  bay.  A  telephone  now  supplies  more  certain  if  less  pic- 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  41 

turesque  means  of  communication,  and  the  Fireplace  exists 
in  name  only. 

Without  going  into  detail,  it  is  a  difficult  task  to  write 
adequately  of  the  bird-life  of  Gardiner 's  Island,  but  several 
facts  soon  impress  the  student — first,  the  abundance  of 
birds ;  second,  the  presence  of  species  rare  or  known  only  as 
migrants  on  contiguous  land  areas  and,  third,  the  departure 
of  some  species  from  the  normal  habit  of  their  kind.  Robins, 
for  example,  build  their  nests  not  only  in  every  tree  and 
bush  about  the  place  but  in  exposed  positions,  on  the  pro- 
jections of  piazza  supports,  on  fence-rails,  without  attempt 
at  concealment,  at  the  end  of  corded  wood  logs,  and  even  on 
stones  beneath  foot-bridges.  How  would  they  have  pro- 
gressed with  housekeeping  arrangements  if  sleek,  some- 
times purring  tabbies  were  interested  spectators  of  their 
labors? 

Other  common  dooryard  birds  are  Catbirds,  Orioles, 
Chimney  Swifts,  Chipping  Sparrows  and  Barn  Swallows. 
Flickers,  Quail  and  English  Pheasants  all  nest  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  home  dwelling,  the  former  finding  the  fence- 
posts  admirable  substitutes  for  hollow  trees.  House  Spar- 
rows,with  their  usual  discretion  in  selecting  desirable  homes, 
swarm  about  the  manor  house,  their  harsh  chatter  being  the 
one  discordant  element  in  the  life  of  the  island.  The  abun- 
dance of  these  birds  probably  accounts  for  the  absence  of 
House  Wrens  and  Bluebirds  from  a  habitat  which,  in  other 
respects,  would  be  exceptionally  suitable  for  their  occupa- 
tion. Competition  between  the  Sparrows  and  these  birds 
occurs  in  the  selection  of  a  nesting  site  and,  the  Sparrow 
being  permanently  on  the  ground,  ever  has  the  nine  points 
of  possession  on  his  side. 

Scarce  a  stone's  throw  away,  colonies  of  Purple 
Crackles  and  Eed-winged  Blackbirds  add  their  characteris- 
tic notes  to  the  chorus  of  bird  voices,  the  volume  of  which  so 
impresses  the  bird  student  from  less  favored  regions.  In 
the  openings  of  a  near-by  tree  and  bush-grown  pond,  if  the 


42  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

resident  Kingfisher  does  not  give  the  alarm,  a  Black  Duck 
with  her  brood  may  be  seen,  and,  more  rarely,  one  may  catch 
a  glimpse  of  a  radiant  Wood  Duck,  floating  on  the  clear 
brown  water.  At  dusk,  the  whistling  of  a  Woodcock's  wings 
and  the  momentary  sight  of  the  birds  rapidly  flying  to  fresh 
feeding  grounds,  adds  another  game-bird  to  the  list. 

In  the  grass-grown  fields,  ready  for  the  mower,  and  on 
the  rolling  plains  where  sheep  graze,  are  Meadowlarks,  Ves- 
per, Field,  Savanna  and  Grasshopper  Sparrows,  with  King- 
birds and  Indigo  Buntings  in  the  bordering  tree-lines. 

From  every  side  comes  the  splendid,  vigorous  whistle  of 
Bob-White,  and  often  the  singer  may  be  seen,  perched  on 
the  top  rail  of  a  fence,  replying  in  kind  to  a  rival,  occupying 
a  similar  position  on  the  other  side  of  the  field. 

Approaching  the  borders  of  the  woods,  where  thicket 
growths  encroach  upon  the  fields,  one  is  sure  to  have  the 
always  startling  experience  of  flushing  an  English  Pheas- 
ant ;  and  in  the  morning  and  evening,  the  little,  immature, 
bantam-like  crow  of  cock  Pheasants  is  a  distinctly  strange 
and  foreign  note. 

In  spite  of  its  abundance,  the  novelty  of  this  bird 's  ap- 
pearance does  not  wear  off.  As,  with  a  cackle  and  a  roar  of 
wings,  the  bird  seemed  to  burst  from  the  earth,  I  invariab- 
ly paused  to  watch  the  magnificent  creature  rise,  rocket- 
like,  and  sail  away  into  cover ;  nor  did  one  think  of  moving 
until  it  was  lost  to  view.  The  manner  in  which  a  cock 
Pheasant  can  conceal  himself  where  there  is  apparently  not 
sufficient  cover  for  a  Sparrow,  was  a  never-ending  source 
of  wonder.  Scarcely  less  astonishing  than  the  flight  of  the 
adult  Pheasants  is  the  wing-power  of  the  chicks.  When  evi- 
dently not  more  than  two  or  three  days  old,  they  fly  with  a 
speed  and  certainty  of  aim  which  quickly  carries  them  to 
the  near-by  shelter.  The  sitting  females  are  exceedingly 
wary,  leaving  the  nest  with  but  little  cause  and  returning 
with  much  caution.  The  picture  here  presented  was  secur- 
ed only  after  the  camera  had  been  set  for  a  day  and  a  half. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  43 

Pheasants  were  introduced  on  Gardiner's  Island  in 
1892,  when  twenty-five  females  and  one  hundred  males  were 
released.  In  1893,  two  hundred  females,  one  hundred  males, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  birds  of  both  sexes,  bred  by  hand 
on  the  island,  were  turned  out.  This  constituted  the  entire 
stock,  which,  responding  to  the  exceptionally  favorable  con- 
ditions, increased  so  rapidly  that,  at  the  end  of  eight  years, 
the  Pheasant  population  was  estimated  at  about  5000  birds. 
During  this  period,  some  three  or  four  hundred  cock  birds 
— and  cocks  only — had  been  shot  each  fall. 


Sitting  Pheasant 

The  birds  now  began  to  decrease.  Some  contracted  a 
disease  resembling  roup,  with  which  the  Crows  on  the  island 
were  afflicted.  The  gamekeeper,  Hiram  Miller,  thinks  that 
possibly  the  food  supply  on  the  island  was  not  large  enough 
to  maintain  the  maximum  number  of  birds ;  while  George  E. 
Lodge,  the  English  artist  and  ornithologist,  who  accompan- 
ied me  to  the  island  in  November,  ]  907,  suggested  that — as 


44  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


Terns   Nesting  on   Drift-weed 

in  England,  old  and  barren  hen  Pheasants  are  known  to  mo- 
lest sitting  birds — the  practice,  on  Gardiner's  Island,  of 
shooting  no  females  may  have  rendered  incubating  birds 
subject  to  disturbance  by  their  elders  of  the  same  sex.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  the  fact  remains  that,  without  any  evident 
cause  for  the  decrease,  there  are  not  more  than  half  as 
many  Pheasants  on  the  island  in  1908  as  there  were  in  1900, 
and  it  is  now  proposed  to  put  out  one  thousand  more  birds. 
The  woods  and  wood  borders,  in  addition  to  the  Vireos, 
Scarlet  Tanagers,  Ovenbirds,  Chats,  Wood  Thrushes  and 
other  common  species,  hold  as  tenants  numerous  Carolina 
Wrens,  a  southern  species  whose  loud,  ringing,  musical 


GADRINER'S   ISLAND  45 

whistle  adds  an  unexpected  bird  voice  to  the  chorus  of  June 
song.  Beaching  the  regular  northern  limit  of  its  range  in 
northern  New  Jersey,  this  bird  is  known  only  as  a  rare 
straggler  on  Long  Island ;  but  it  appears  to  have  become 
permanently  established  on  Gardiner's  Island,  where  half 
a  dozen  may  be  seen  or  heard  on  any  morning's  walk;  its 
characteristic  notes  give  form  to  mental  pictures  of  south- 
ern woods,  made  still  more  real  by  the  guttural,  lisping 
gurgle  of  the  Parula  Warblers,  nesting  in  the  thick  bunches 
of  usnea  moss. 


Common  Tern 
The  bird  was  sitting  on  seven  eggs 

Where  swamp  maples  grow  in  low  flooded  woodlands, 
several  hundred  Night  Herons  build  their  rude  platform 
nests  of  sticks,  high  in  the  branches.  As,  with  frightened 
squawks,  the  old  birds  leave  the  home  tree,  one  might  ima- 
gine one  had  invaded  a  hen-roost.  In  early  June,  the  streak- 
ed young  are  nearly  grown,  and  sit  in  rows  of  three  and 
four  on  the  limbs  near  the  frail  structure  in  which  they 
were  reared,  waiting  for  the  impulse  which  will  bid  them 
use  their  newly  grown  wings. 

The  absence  from  the  woods  of  Blue  Jays,  Kose-breast- 


46  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

ed  Grosbeaks  and  Veerys,  where  all  the  conditions  are  ap- 
parently favorable,  is  so  marked  as  to  call  for  an  explana- 
tion, but  I  am  unable  to  suggest  one. 

In  June,  1908,  Mr.  Winthrop  Gardiner  showed  me  a  pair 
of  Bartramian  Sandpipers  or  4 '  Upland  Plover, ' '  which  were 
evidently  nesting  on  the  plains,  and  his  father,  Mr.  John 
Lyon  Gardiner,  tells  me  that  this  species  was  once  abundant 
there. 

The  well-named  Piping  Plover  is  still  a  common  bird  on 
the  beach  at  both  the  northern  and  southern  ends  of  the  is- 
land, where  possibly  fifteen  or  twenty  pairs  of  these  little 
sand-colored  birds  nest.  Here,  also,  are  two  colonies  con- 
taining several  hundred  of  the  Common  Terns  which  were 
once  so  numerous  on  the  south  shore  of  Long  Island.  On 
July  5, 1901, 1  saw  seven  Eoseate  Terns  in  the  south  end 
colony.  At  this  time,  young  Terns,  several  days  old,  were 
running  about,  apparently,  wherever  they  pleased,  attended 
by  their  parents.  Several  were  seen  to  enter  an  inflowing 
creek,  drink  repeatedly  of  the  salt-water  and  swim  actively, 
in  evident  enjoyment  of  their  natatorial  powers,  while  the 
parents,  who  rarely  alight  on  the  water,  watched  them  from 
the  shore.  Possibly  here  was  an  explanation  of  the  value  to 
Terns  of  webbed  toes.  Functionless  in  the  adult,  they  are 
of  service  to  the  young  before  the  power  of  flight  is  ac- 
quired. 

Herring  Gulls,  chiefly  in  immature,  gray  plumage,  ap- 
pear to  remain  on  the  island  throughout  the  summer,  and 
flocks  of  fifty  or  more  have  been  observed  on  each  of  my 
visits  at  that  season. 

At  both  ends  of  the  island  there  are  extensive  salt 
marshes  with  numerous  ponds.  Here,  Sharp-tailed  and 
Seaside  Finches  are  abundant,  while  to  the  ponds,  the  Black 
Ducks,  about  forty  pairs  of  which  are  said  to  nest  on  the  is 
land,  resort  with  their  broods. 

But  the  birds  for  which,  among  naturalists  at  least,  Gar 
diner's  Island  is  famous,  are  the  Fish  Hawks,  or  Ospreys. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  47 

The  island  furnishes  them  with  a  safe  retreat  to  which,  year 
after  year,  they  may  return  and  find  their  bulky  nests  undis- 
turbed, awaiting  them,  while  the  surrounding  waters  aft'ord 
an  unfailing  supply  of  food.  Among  the  birds,  they  are  the 
lords  of  this  land.  If  their  title  could  be  searched,  even  the 
early,  red  skinned  islanders  would  doubtless  be  found  to 
have  been  trespassers. 

If  the  Fish  Hawks  cannot  prevent  man's  presence,  they 
can  and  do  deny  to  any  other  member  of  the  Hawk  family 
the  right  to  share  their  summer  home ;  and  while  the  Fish 
Hawks  are  there,  one  may  usually  look  in  vain  for  Hawks  of 
other  species  on  Gardiner 's  Island.  One  Marsh  Hawk  is  the 
only  raptor  I  have  seen  on  there  in  summer,  and  Mr.  Win- 
throp  Gardiner  reports  a  Eed-tail. 

While  on  the  island,  therefore,  the  Fish  Hawks  appear 
to  have  no  enemies.  The  Terns  sometimes  dart  at  them 
threateningly,  but,  beyond  ducking  their  heads  as  the  sharp- 
billed,  active  birds  sweep  by,  they  pay  no  attention  to  this 
source  of  annoyance.  From  the  manner  in  which  they  pur- 
sue the  Black-crowned  Night  Herons  and  Green  Herons, 
one  might  imagine  that  they  had  an  old  score  to  settle  with 
these  birds ;  but  the  Herons  are  probably  as  innocent  of  of- 
fense against  the  Fish  Hawks  as  the  latter  are  against  the 
Terns ;  in  each  case,  the  attack  is  that  of  a  more  active  or 
stronger  bird  against  a  less  agile  or  weaker  one,  and  is 
doubtless  a  purely  malicious  exhibition  of  power. 

Since  the  publication  of  Alexander  Wilson's  "  American 
Ornithology,"  the  Fish  Hawks  of  Gardiner's  Island  have 
figured  in  the  literature  of  ornithology  and  it  is  characteris- 
tic of  their  delightful  home  that,  owing  to  the  preserving  in- 
fluences of  insular  life,  the  birds  are  apparently  nearly  as 
abundant  there  to-day  as  they  were  a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  volume  (Vol.  V.)  of  Wilson's  work  in  which  the  Fish 
Hawk  is  treated,  appeared  in  1812.  In  it  the  Mr.  Gardiner 
who  was  then  proprietor  of  the  island,  is  quoted  as  saying 
that  there  were  at  "least  three  hundred  nests  of  Fish 


48  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

Hawks  that  have  young  *  *  *."  To-day  I  estimate  the 
number  at  between  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  two  hundred, 
but  the  difference  between  these  figures  and  those  of  1812, 
may  be  less  real  than  one  due  to  errors  in  estimate.  In  any 
event,  Gardiner 's  Island  holds  the  largest  Fish  Hawk  col- 
ony in  this  country — possibly  the  largest  in  the  world — and 
the  conditions  under  which  many  of  the  birds  nest,  offer  ex- 
ceptional opportunities  for  a  study  of  their  habits. 

Mr.  Gardiner  tells  me  that  the  Fish  Hawks  arrive  on  the 
island,  March  20,  and  depart  on  September  20.  That  the 
same  birds  return  year  after  year  to  the  same  nest,  is  be- 
yond question,  and,  in  at  least  one  instance,  this  belief  was 
proven  true  by  Mr.  Gardiner 's  grandfather,  who  placed  a 
metal  band  on  the  tarsus  of  a  Fish  Hawk  which,  for  many 
subsequent  seasons,  was  known  to  occupy  a  certain  nest. 

Mr.  Gardiner  does  not  confirm  current  statements  to  the 
effect  that  the  Fish  Hawks  repair  their  nests  in  the  fall ; 
but  in  the  spring  there  is  much  activity  in  nest-building, 
even  by  birds  whose  homes  are  apparently  already  habita- 
ble. The  birds  gather  sticks  from  the  ground  and  they  also 
break  them  from  the  trees  by  flying  at  or  dropping  on  them 
and  grasping  them  with  their  talons.  Eel  grass  is  a  favorite 
nest-lining  and  the  birds  often  fly  about  with  four  or  five 
feet  of  this  grass  streaming  out  behind  like  a  long  tail.  I 
have  never  been  on  the  island  early  enough  in  the  season  to 
observe  the  mating  habits  of  the  Fish  Hawks,  but  additions 
to  the  nest  are  sometimes  made  after  the  eggs  are  laid,  and 
birds  may  be  seen  with  nest-material  in  June. 

The  variation  in  the  character  of  the  nesting  sites  of 
Fish  Hawks  on  Gardiner's  Island,  effectively  illustrates 
how,  under  certain  conditions,  a  bird  may  depart  from  the 
habit  of  its  kind,  without  paying  the  penalty  which  so  often 
befalls  animals  with  but  partially  developed  instincts. 

It  is  the  normal  habit  of  the  Fish  Hawk  to  nest  in  trees, 
but  on  Gardiner's  Island  one  finds  these  birds  building  their 
homes  not  only  in  trees  but  actually  on  the  ground.  I  do  not 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  49 

believe  that  they  deliberately  select  such  a  position.  Bather 
it  seems  to  me,  these  ground-dwelling  birds,  while  inherit- 
ing the  nest  building  instincts  of  their  species,  are  not  in- 
stinctively impelled  to  adopt  a  site  which  has  proven  to  be 
the  most  desirable  for  Fish  Hawks.  On  the  mainland,  such 
variability  from  the  standard  would  have  placed  the  bird,  its 
egg  or  its  young  within  the  reach  of  predaceous  mammals, 
and  it  doubtless  would  not  have  succeeded  in  rearing  its 
family.  But  in  an  environment  where  bird  enemies  are  hap- 
pily absent,  the  ground- building  birds  are  as  safe  as  those 
nesting  in  the  tree-tops,  indeed,  the  ground- builders  are  in 
less  danger  than  the  birds  which  build  true  to  type,  since  the 
trees  to  which,  year  after  year,  the  birds  come,  may  fall, 
with  consequent  disaster  to  the  nest. 

About  ten  pairs  of  Fish  Hawks  nest  upon  the  ground, 
and  these  ground  nests  are  always  placed  on  the  beach. 
Possibly  the  abundance  of  drift-wood  may  induce  the  birds 
to  select  this  situation. 

Several  pairs  of  the  beach-nesting  birds  have  not  only 
failed  to  inherit  the  tree-nesting  habit  but  evidently  have 
the  nest-building  instinct  itself  but  slightly  developed,  their 
eggs  being  laid  on  the  ground  with  scarce  a  pretense  of  nest. 
In  most  cases,  however,  the  beach  nests  are  large  structures 
containing  two  or  three  cartloads  of  sticks,  their  size  being 
dependent  on  their  age,  and  the  success  with  which  they 
weather  winter  winds  and  waves.  I  do  not  observe  that  the 
number  of  beach  nests  has  apparently  increased  since  my 
first  visit  to  the  island  in  1900,  from  which  we  may  infer 
that  the  ground-nesting  habit  is  not  hereditary. 

As  an  intermediate  site  between  ground  and  tree,  some 
Fish  Hawks  nest  on  large  boulders  either  off-shore,  when 
the  birds  have  an  island  of  their  own,  or  inland  on  the  roll- 
ing plains.  One  pair  of  birds  had  nested  for  many  years  on 
the  roof  of  a  small ' '  yoke-house  ' '  standing  in  a  field  which, 
when  I  first  saw  it  on  May  30, 1900,  was  green  with  young 
rye.  The  house  itself  offered  the  only  available  concealment 


50 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


The  Nest  on  the  Yoke-house 

from  which  the  bird  might  be  photographed  on  its  home.  A 
camera  was  therefore  erected  some  forty  feet  away,  and  a 
rubber  tubing,  attached  to  a  shutter,  led  to  my  hiding  place 
in  the  basement  of  the  Fish  Hawk's  dwelling.  It  required 
close  attention  to  detect  the  sound  of  the  bird's  foot-fall  on 
the  floor  above,  but  when  assured  of  its  return,  I  could  stand 
boldly  in  the  doorway  and,  with  the  aid  of  a  bicycle  pump, 
make  an  exposure  at  my  leisure. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  51 

The  yoke-house  has  now  succumbed  to  the  weight  of 
years  and  nest,  but  a  new  Fish  Hawk  home  which  has  been 
erected  in  the  nearest  tree,  is  doubtless  occupied  by  the 
yoke-house  birds.  If  this  supposition  be  true,  they  evidently 
did  not  resort  to  a  roof  because  they  lacked  the  ability  to 
build  in  trees. 


"A  new  nest  on  the   ruins  of  the  old  one" 

That  the  normal  nesting-site  of  Fish  Hawks  is  arboreal, 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  fully  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the 
Gardiner 's  Island  birds  resort  to  trees  ;  but  even  with  this 
restriction  there  is  wide  variation  in  the  situation  selected. 
Some  birds  nest  in  the  heart  of  the  forest,  in  the  great  oaks ; 
others  at  its  border,  in  the  sour  gums  ;  many  choose  the 
wild  cherry  trees,  while  a  number  have  astonishing  success 
in  saddling  their  bulky  platforms  on  the  small  red  cedars, 
where  they  dwarf  the  tree  into  a  mere  supporting  post. 


52 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


The  attachment  of  Fish  Hawks  for  their  home  has  often 
been  commented  on  and  there  are  many  illustrations  of  it  on 
Gardiner 's  Island.  The  nests  built  in  cedars,  in  time  break 
the  tree,  when  the  birds  build  a  new  nest  on  the  ruins  of  the 
old  one.  In  one  instance,  a  tall  tree,  standing  alone  in  a  field, 

had  held  a  Fish  Hawk 's  nest 
for  as  many  years  as  one 
could  remember.  During  a 
storm  it  fell  and  the  nest  was 
scattered  over  the  ground. 
The  birds  then  attempted  to 
build  a  new  nest  on  the 
nearly  horizontal  trunk  of 
the  tree,  at  its  junction  with 
the  stump,  to  which  it  was 
still  slightly  attached;  but 
as  fast  as  the  sticks  were 
brought  they  fell  to  the 
ground  a  few  feet  below, 
where  a  pile  of  them  bore 
testimony  to  the  birds'  fail- 
ure to  comprehend  the  new 
conditions  by  which  they 
were  confronted. 
Eggs  are  not  laid  until  seven  or  eight  weeks  after  the 
birds'  arrival  from  the  south;  a  delay  which,  in  view  of  the 
abundant  food  supply,  it  is  difficult  to  explain.  The  period 
of  incubation  is  said  to  be  four  weeks,  June  2  being  the 
earliest  date  on  which  I  have  found  young. 

The  young  are  in  the  nest  about  six  weeks.  They  are 
under  the  immediate  care  of  the  female,  who  is  almost  con- 
stantly with  them  while  the  male  occupies  a  perch  near  by. 
While  both  birds  whistle  shrilly  when  one  is  near  the  nest,  ii 
is  exceptional  for  them  to  make  any  show  of  defending  their 
young  by  actual  attack.  I  have  never  been  threatened  by 
the  beach-nesting  birds,  but  one,  which  occupied  a  tree, 
dived  at  me  repeatedly  when  I  climbed  to  the  nest,  coming 
uncomfortably  near  at  each  swoop. 


A  Crackle's  Nest  in  the  Side  of 
a  Fish  Hawk's  Nest 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND 


53 


The  young  are  reared  on  the  restricted  diet  of  their 
parents  and,  as  far  as  my  observations  go,  the  fish  is  cap- 
tured and  brought  to  the  nest  by  the  male,  often  after  he  has 
satisfied  his  own  appetite  by  eating  part  of  it.  Incidentally 
it  may  be  remarked  that  Gardiner's  Island  birds  secure 
most  of  their  fish  from  the  numerous  fish  traps  which,  dur- 
ing the  summer,  are  set  about  the  island.  They  sit  patiently 
on  one  of  the  poles  to  which  the  net  is  attached,  until  oppor- 


Feeding  the  Young 

tunity  offers,  when  they  jump  down  to  the  water  for  their 
prey  ;  a  far  less  interesting  method  of  feeding  than  the 
thrilling  plunge  from  the  air. 

The  young  are  fed  at  long  intervals,  possibly  not  more 
than  twice  during  the  day.  On  each  occasion,  however,  the 
feeding  process  continues  for  some  time.  Tearing  a  small 
piece  from  the  fish,  the  female  usually  turning  her  head  on 
one  side,  offers  it  to  her  young,  who  quietly,  one  at  a  time, 
pick  it  from  her  bill. 

Young  Fish  Hawks  are  models  in  behavior.    Their  obe 
dience  is  instant  and  enduring.    At  the  complaining  alarm 


54 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


whistle  of  the  parent,  they  squat  flat  in  the  nest  and  hold 
their  position,  possibly  for  hours,  until  the  old  bird  is  reas- 
sured and  permits  them  to  raise  their  heads,  when  they  are 
often  surprisingly  alert  and  active.  Unlike  young  Terns, 
Gulls  or  Skimmers,  they  make  no  move  when  touched,  doubt- 
less because  they  have  no  means  of  escape.  They  therefore 
not  only  look  but  act  like  dead  birds.  One  can  turn  them  on 
their  backs  or  place  them  in  any  position,  putty-like  they 
will  remain,  their  only  movement  being  a  rare  wink  of  the 


"  Three  apparently  adult   Fish  Hawks  .  .  .  within  a  foot 
of  my  face  " 

half -closed  but  staring  yellow-brown  eye.  Young  which  are 
about  to  fly,  however,  especially  if  they  be  in  a  tree  nest,  will 
sometimes  abandon  the  crouching  position  for  one  of  de- 
fense. I  recall  with  amusement  my  surprise  when,  on  climb- 
ing to  a  nest  which,  from  below,  appeared  to  be  empty,  three 
apparently  adult  Fish  Hawks,  in  menacing  pose,  suddenly 
materialized  within  a  foot  of  my  face. 

The  beach  nests  are  exceptionally  well  situated  for  the 
purpose  of  bird  photography,  and  these  nests   have  furn- 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND 


55 


ished  the  subjects  for  studies,  to  make  which  has  been  the 
main  object  of  my  visits  to  Gardiner's  Island.  These  were 
conducted  from  my  umbrella  blind,  without  which  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  gain  an  insight  into  the  home-life  of  the 
birds.  Both  nests  and  blind  were  conspicuous  objects  on 
the  beach  and,  as  in  many  other  instances,  I  found  it  import- 
ant to  have  a  co-operator  whose  departure,  after  I  had 
entered  the  blind,  apparently  reassured  the  owners  of  the 


Adult  Female  Fish  Hawk  and  Newly  Hatched  Young 

nest,  within  thirty  feet  of  which  the  blind  was  usually 
placed.  To  enter  the  blind  alone  is  to  invest  it  with  your  per- 
sonality, and  the  bird  will  not  return  to  its  nest  until  the 
impression  created  by  your  presence  has  become  dimmed. 
At  the  best  the  blind  itself  is  regarded  with  much  suspicion 
and,  although  the  bird  may  return  to  her  nest  before  your 


56 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


Fish  Hawk  Approaching  Ne;t 


The  Pause  Before  Alighting 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND 


57 


Fish  Hawk  Alighting  on  Nest 


Leaving  the  Nest 


58  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

companion  is  two  hundred  yards  away,  she  regards  the  blind 
intently,  peering,  with  a  sinuous  motion  of  the  neck  as 
though  her  gaze  would  penetrate  the  cloth  itself.  Some  birds 
are  satisfied  more  easily  than  others,  and  after  half  an  hour 
accept  the  blind  without  further  question.  Others  keep  it 
under  close  surveillance  for  two  hours  and,  during  this  time, 
the  slightest  sound  or  movement  of  the  cloth  is  greeted  with 
the  complaining  alarm  whistle,  which,  if  the  cause  of  alarm 
be  continued,  arises  to  a  shrill  crescendo. 


Fish  Hawks  About  Two  Weeks  Old 

In  studying  the  life  of  one  nest  figured,  the  blind  was 
entered  at  eleven  o  'clock,  when  the  male  was  seen  flying 
about  with  a  bit  of  fish  which  he  was  evidently  about  to 
bring  to  the  nest.  The  female  returned  to  the  nest  within 
ten  minutes  after  my  companion  left  me,  but  it  was  not  until 
12.50,  that  she  ceased  to  regard  the  blind  with  uneasiness. 
During  this  time,  the  male  flew  about  rapidly,  with  the  bit  of 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND  59 

fish  still  grasped  in  his  left  foot,  or  perched  on  the  ground  a 
hundred  yards  away.  At  12.50,  the  female  dropped  all  cau- 
tion, and  the  previously  often  repeated  alarm  note  was 
replaced  by  a  wholly  different  call,  a  high,  rapidly  uttered 
tweet-tweet-tweet,  which  proved  to  be  a  food-call  to  the 
male.  At  one  o  'clock,  in  response  to  it  he  came  to  the  nest, 
but  the  proximity  of  the  blind  frightened  him  and  he  took 
wing  again  almost  as  he  alighted,  and  returned  to  his  perch 
on  the  beach.  Again  the  female  uttered  her  food-call  and 
the  young  were  now  permitted  to  move  about  the  nest. 
Finally  the  male  came  again  but,  as  before,  his  fears  over- 
came him  and  he  departed  quickly,  taking  the  fish  with  him. 
Three  times  this  performance  was  repeated ;  on  the  fourth, 
the  female,  losing  patience  or  prompted  by  hunger,  at- 
tempted to  take  the  fish  from  his  foot  with  her  bill,  when,  as 
the  male  arose,  the  fish  was  pulled  from  his  grasp  and  drop- 
ped over  the  edge  of  the  nest  to  the  sand  at  its  base.  This 
was  a  catastrophe  with  which  neither  bird  was  prepared  to 
cope.  The  male  made  no  move  to  get  another  fish  but  went 
back  to  his  perch  in  the  meadow.  The  female  repeated  her 
food-call  more  loudly  and  the  young  apparently  asked  for 
food,  uttering  a  twittering  peep ;  but  experience  had  not  fit- 
ted her  to  deal  with  this  chain  of  events  and  the  fish  at  the 
foot  of  the  nest  was  left  where  it  fell. 

Owing  to  the  stable  conditions  of  their  habitat,  as  well  as 
to  the  regularity  of  their  habits,  the  Fish  Hawks  of  Gardi- 
ner's Island  offer  an  exceptionally  valuable  subject  for  con- 
tinuous observation.  The  present  contribution  merely 
suggests  the  opportunities  which  await  the  ornithologist 
who,  beginning  by  a  survey  of  the  island  in  order  to  plot  on 
a  map  the  exact  location  of  each  nest,  will  devote  several 
weeks  during  the  nesting,  for  a  period  of  years,  to  an  inti- 
mate study  of  certain  nests  and  a  general  supervision  of 
them  all. 

My  visits  to  Gardiner's  Island  have  been  made  chiefly 
during  the  summer  (May  29- June  2,  1900  ;  July  2-7,  1901  ; 


60  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

June  16-21, 1908) ;  but  in  November,  1907  (23-25),  I  went  to 
the  island  with  George  E.  Lodge,  to  have  a  glimpse  of  its 
winter  bird-life,  and  an  interesting  one  it  was.  It  stormed 
heavily  and  continuously  during  our  stay,  but,  nevertheless, 
we  saw  fifty  species  of  birds  (or  only  nineteen  less  than  the 
total  for  my  three  summer  trips),  and  as  a  matter  of  inter- 
est as  well  as  of  record,  I  append  a  list  of  them  with  an 
estimate  of  the  number  of  individuals  of  each  species. 

If  the  nesting  of  Black  Ducks,  Bartramian  Sandpipers, 
Piping  Plover,  and  other  rare  species,  is  a  tribute  to  the  pro- 
tective powers  of  the  island  during  the  summer,  the  presence 
of  fifteen  species  of  wild  Ducks  in  November  is  a  no  less 
impressive  evidence  of  its  preserving  influences  at  that  sea- 
son. With  no  small  satisfaction,  we  saw,  in  the  same  pond, 
and  almost  at  a  glance,  Hooded  Mergansers,  Pintails,  Red- 
heads, Canvasbacks,  Buffleheads,  and  Ruddy  Ducks ;  but  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  most  interesting  experience  of  our  visit 
was  supplied  by  the  commonest  bird  on  the  island  —  the 
Crow.  Crows  are  abundant  on  the  island  throughout  the 
day,  foraging  in  the  old  corn-fields  and  along  the  beaches  ; 
but  late  in  the  afternoon,  birds  from  Long  Island  begin  to 
return  to  the  island,  to  their  roost  in  "Bostwick's  Woods." 
The  rolling  plains  at  the  edge  of  woods  where  we 
were  hiding  was  black  with  Crows,  acres  of  them.  Birds 
were  constantly  arriving  and  the  black  area  growing  larger 
and  denser.  Occasionally  birds  on  the  ground  quarreled, 
while  others  chased  one  another  rapidly  ;  but  on  the  whole, 
there  was  surprisingly  little  noise  or  movement.  The  birds 
were  waiting,  and  waiting  quietly.  When  it  was  too  dark  to 
distinguish  birds  on  the  ground  one  hundred  yards  distant, 
the  flight  to  the  roost  was  begun.  There  was  no  noise,  no 
confusion ;  the  Crows  did  not  rise  in  a  body  but  gradually, 
curling  like  smoke  in  a  long  black  stream,  they  entered  the 
woods  behind  us  and  disappeared  in  the  gloom.  It  was  an 
impressive  sight,  and  rendered  doubly  so  by  the  absolute 
quiet  with  which  the  evolution  was  performed. 


GARDINER'S  ISLAND 


61 


LIST    OF    BIRDS     OBSERVED    ON   GARDINER'S    ISLAND, 
NOV.    23-25,   1907 


Horned  Grebe,  25 
Loon,  10 

Red-throated  Loon,  1 
Kittiwake,  1 
Black-backed  Gull,  20 
Herring  Gull,  300 
Cormorant,  sp.,  2 
Red-breasted  Merganser,   6 
Hooded  Merganser,  6 
Mallard,  4 
Black  Duck,  500 
Baldpate,  100 
Pintail,  6 
Redhead,  6 
Canvasback,  6 
Golden-eye,  20 
Buffle-head,  100 
Old  Squaw,  200 
American  Scoter,  2 
White-winged  Scoter,  500 
Surf  Scoter,  200 
Ruddy  Duck,  150 
Great  Blue  Heron,  1 
Bob-White,  60 
Pheasant,  12 


Marsh  Hawk,  6 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  1 
Red-tail,  3 

American   Rough-leg,  12 
Downy  Woodpecker,  1 
Flicker,  15 
Horned  Lark,  30 
American   Crow,  50,000 
Purple  Crackle,  2 
Meadowlark,  30 
Goldfinch,  6 
Pine  Finch,  1 
Snowflake,  25 
Ipswich   Sparrow,  1 
Tree  Sparrow,  10 
Junco,  20 
Song  Sparrow,  12 
Fox  Sparrow,  1 
Myrtle  Warbler,  50 
Brown    Creeper,    1 
Carolina  Wren,  12 
Winter  Wren,  1 
White-breasted  Nuthatch,  3 
Chickadee,  20 
Robin,  2 


Parent  and  Young 


A  Section  of  the  Habitat  Group   Representing  the    Summer  Bird-life  of 

Cobb's  Island 

The  Least  Terns  here  shown  were  once  abundant  on  the  island  but  have 
been  exterminated  by  millinery  collectors.  Background  painted  by 
Walter  Cox;  birds  mounted  by  H.  C.  Denslow. 


COBB'S  ISLAND 

The  Atlantic  coast,  from  New  Jersey  to  North  Carolina, 
is  bordered  by  an  outlying  chain  of  islets.  Many  of  them 
are  mere  sand  bars,  more  or  less  grown  with  coarse  grasses, 
and,  on  their  western  sides,  fringed  by  marshes  which  reach 
out  into  the  bays  separating  them  from  the  mainland. 

Useless  for  agricultural  purposes,  these  islands  have  a 
high  commercial  value  only  when  they  have  become  the  sites 
of  summer  resorts ;  but  when  they  have  not  suffered  from 
an  irruption  of  hotels  and  cottages  they  are,  as  a  rule,  ten- 
anted only  by  an  occasional  fisherman  or  the  crews  of  life- 
saving  stations,  whose  presence  does  not  materially  alter 
their  primeval  conditions. 

Lacking  the  natural  foes  of  birds  which  exist  on  the 
mainland,  these  barren  islets  make  ideal  breeding-grounds 
for  birds,  which  find  on  them  the  isolation  their  peculiar 
nesting  habits  require,  while  the  surrounding  waters  furnish 
them  an  abundant  supply  of  food. 

In  all  this  chain  of  bird  homes,  probably  none  has  been 
better  known  to  ornithologists  than  Cobb's  Island,  on  the 
Virginia  coast,  north  of  Cape  Charles.  Seven  miles  long,  it 
has  been  occupied  by  man  only  at  the  extreme  southern  end ; 
a  small  sportsman's  club-house  and  a  life-saving  station 
being  now  its  only  dwellings. 

Twenty  years  ago,  Willet,  and  Least  Terns,  in  large 
numbers,  and  Eoyal  Terns  bred  on  Cobb's  Island,  but  to- 
day the  former  is  rare  while  the  two  latter  are  unknown,  and 
there  are  left  as  breeding  birds,  Common,  Forster  's,  and 
Gull-billed  Terns,  Laughing  Gulls,  Skimmers,  Oyster-catch- 
ers, Wilson's  Plovers,  Clapper  Rails  and  Seaside  Finches. 
Willet  have  disappeared  before  spring  shooting,  in  what 
was  actually  their  nesting  season.  The  Least  Terns  fell  vie- 


64  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

tims  to  the  milliners,  who  greatly  decreased  the  other  species 
of  Terns  nesting  on  the  island.  The  former  captain  of  the 
life-saving  station  told  me  of  1,400  Least  Terns  being  killed 
in  one  day;  while  the  captain  of  the  station  and  Mr.  E.  B. 
Cobb,  owner  of  the  island,  informed  me  that  when  Terns 
were  first  killed  for  millinery  purposes  they,  with  another 
man,  killed  2,800  birds  in  three  days  on  and  near  Cobb 's 
Island.  The  birds  were  packed  in  cracked  ice  and  shipped  to 
New  York  for  skinning ;  ten  cents  being  paid  for  each  one. 

In  July,  1902  (23-25),  I  visited  Cobb's  Island  to  secure 
data,  photographs  and  specimens  with  which  to  represent 
its  summer  bird-life  in  a  Habitat  Group.  At  the  same  time, 
it  was  proposed  to  study  the  Black  Skimmer.  Marvellously 
graceful  in  the  air,  the  Skimmer  is  so  conspicuously  ugly 
when  at  rest,  that  not  even  the  milliners  consider  it  available 
for  alleged  hat  decoration;  consequently  it  was  spared 
while  its  more  beautiful  neighbors,  the  .Terns,  were  slaugh- 
tered, and  it  is  numerous  in  favorable  localities  on  the  coast 
from  Virginia  to  Texas. 

But  in  spite  of  the  Skimmer 's  abundance,  its  conserva- 
tism in  the  matter  of  habitat  removes  it  from  the  field  of  ob- 
servation of  most  ornithologists,  and,  at  the  time  of  which  I 
write,  accounts  of  its  habits  could  be  found  only  in  the  works 
of  Wilson  and  Audubon.  Neither  of  these  remarkably  keen 
and  sympathetic  students  of  bird-life  appears,  however,  to 
have  had  an  extended  experience  with  the  Skimmer  during 
the  nesting  season.  Both  state,  for  instance,  that  it  lays  only 
three  eggs  ;  whereas  the  full  complement  is  four ;  and,  Wil- 
son writes  that  the  ' '  female  sits  on  them  only  during  the 
night  and  in  wet  and  stormy  weather. "  As  I  desired  espe- 
cially to  secure  photographs  of  the  sitting  bird,  this  question 
of  the  day  or  night  incubation  was  of  importance.  I  made 
inquiry,  therefore,  of  ornithologists  who  had  been  among 
Skimmers,  but  not  one  had  ever  seen  a  Skimmer  on  its  nest. 
Hence  the  life  history  of  the  Skimmer  appeared  to  be  an  un- 
usually attractive  subject  for  investigation.  Unique  in 


66  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

structure,  he  was  known  to  be  correspondingly  unique  in 
feeding  habit ;  while  there  was  something  pleasantly  mys- 
terious in  the  birds '  supposed  habit  of  coming  home  only 
after  dark. 

Skimmers  arrive  on  the  Virginia  coast  early  in  May,  and 
begin  to  lay  about  June  15 ;  but  their  nests  are  so  persist- 
ently robbed  by  fishermen  that  few  young  are  hatched  before 
July  20.  The  latter  part  of  this  month  or  early  August  is, 
therefore,  the  best  season  in  which  to  study  the  domestic 
economy  of  the  Skimmer  household. 

It  is  a  memorable  moment  in  the  life  of  the  naturalist 
when  the  animal  of  books  or  museums,  or  even  zoological 
gardens,  is  first  seen  by  him,  a  wild,  free  creature  in  its 
haunts ;  and  when  the  animal  is  as  singularly  formed  as  the 
Skimmer,  one's  desire  is  intensified  by  a  curiosity  to  see  it 
use  its  peculiar  and  characteristic  organs.  Imagine,  then, 
the  joy  of  an  ornithologist  who,  for  the  first  time,  finds  him- 
self in  a  breeding  colony  of  thousands  of  Skimmers,  where 
the  air  is  filled  with  a  yelping  mob  of  birds  whose  eggs  and 
young  are  so  numerous  on  the  broad  shell-strewn  beach, 
that  one  cannot  walk  without  danger  of  stepping  on  them. 

It  was  not  difficult  to  find  a  spot  in  which  to  begin  a  study 
of  the  birds.  Some  minutes  before  reaching  the  boundary 
of  the  territory  they  inhabited,  a  band  of  birds  arose  in  the 
air  and,  with  more  or  less  extended  front,  flew  toward  me 
only  to  swing  to  one  side,  wheel  and  fly  back  again ;  all  utter- 
ing a  trumpet-like  note  which  is  effectively  emphasized  by 
violent  bill  action,  the  bright  red  and  black  mandibles  open- 
ing widely  with  each  note.  When  the  nests  were  reached, 
the  uproar  increased  and  with  it  the  excitement  and  bold- 
ness of  the  particular  birds  near  whose  eggs  or  nests  I 
chanced  to  be  standing.  Starting  a  hundred  or  more  feet 
away,  one  after  the  other  charged  toward  me  with  such 
speed  and  apparent  fearlessness,  that  one  could  well  be  par- 
doned an  involuntary  dodge  ere  the  birds,  when  only  a  few 
feet  away,  swerved  and  passed  over  one's  head. 


Wheeling 


Charging 


[ 


Passing 
The  Skimmer  in  Flight 


68 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


The  nests  are  hollows  in  the  sand,  often  only  a  few  feet 
apart  and  with  absolutely  no  lining,  the  Skimmer's  bill 
being  evidently  not  adapted  to  gathering  nesting  material  or 
constructing  a  nest.  The  four  creamy  white  eggs  are  con- 
spicuously marked  with  black,  and  are  by  no  means  difficult 
to  see ;  but  the  downy  young  so  closely  harmonize  with  their 
surroundings  in  color,  that  they  are  far  less  easy  to  discover 


Skimmers  on  Their  Nests 
Note  their  conspicuousness,  even  at  a  distance 

than  the  young  of  any  beach-nesting  bird  with  which  I  am 
familiar.  Their  partial  invisibility,  it  should  be  observed, 
is  not  due  to  their  resemblance  in  form  to  their  surround- 
ings, or  to  the  necessity  of  distinguishing  them  from  peb- 
bles or  shells,  as  is  often  the  case  with  young  Terns.  It  is 
purely  a  matter  of  color  and  disposition  of  color  which 
makes  them  fade  into  the  bare  sand  about  them.  Like  most 
young  birds,  they  instinctively  know  that  safety  lies  only  in 
unquestioning  obedience  to  the  parental  command,  which 
warns  them  of  threatening  danger,  and  bids  them  squat 
close  to  the  sand  with  neck  stretched  out  and  eyes  half 
closed.  I  could  scarcely  believe,  for  a  moment,  that  the  first 
one  seen  in  this  attitude  was  a  living  bird,  but  behold  !  when 


COBB'S  ISLAND 


69 


I  stooped  to  pick  him  up,  at  the  touch  of  my  finger  tips,  he 
evaded  my  grasp  and  scudded  over  the  beach  so  fast  I  scarce 
could  catch  him. 

It  was  easier  to  discover  the  nests  of  the  Skimmers  than 
a  vantage  point  from  which  one  might  study  the  habits  of 
their  owners.  As  yet  I  had  not  learned  whether  they  incu- 
bated by  day  or  night,  and  this  could  be  done  only  by  con- 


Skimmer  on  Nest 
Note  the  young  bird  in  the  shade  of  the  plant 

cealing  myself  and  waiting  until  peace  and  quiet  in  Skim- 
merland  came,  with  the  assurance  that  their  enemy  had 
departed.  The  blind  was  therefore  erected  in  a  depression 
on  a  sand  dune  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  twenty 
or  more  nests.  The  whole  affair  was  then  covered  with 
beach  grass,  and  into  it  I  crept. 

For  a  time,  the  birds  threatened  this  unfamiliar  object, 
darting  at  it  with  loud  screams  ;  but  within  one  hour  and  a 
half,  it  ceased  to  annoy  them  and,  to  my  great  satisfaction, 
bird  after  bird  returned  to  its  nest,  some  alighting  directly 
on  the  little  hollow  in  the  sand,  others  dropping  near-by  and 


70 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


with  waddling  step,  walking  to  the  nest  and  settling  them- 
selves on  their  eggs  or  newly  hatched  young  with  a  low, 
brooding,  churring  note  reserved  for  this  occasion,  and  evi- 
dently indicative  of  extreme  contentment.  This  answered 
the  question  of  day  or  night  incubation  ;  but  it  would  be 
well  to  illustrate  this  fact  in  the  bird 's  history,  and  cameras 
bound  about  with  grasses  were  placed  near  several  nests,  a 
thread  run  from  them  to  the  blind,  and  numerous  pictures 
\vere  thus  made  of  the  Skimmer  at  home. 


* 


The  Young  Skimmer 
Sand  rendered  in  feathers " 


I  passed  two  days  in  my  blind,  enjoying  to  the  full  the 
isolation  of  the  Skimmer 's  retreat,  and  the  privilege  of  see- 
ing, unseen,  a  wild  creature  in  its  haunts.  Within  this  short 
time,  some  additions  were  made  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
Skimmer's  habits.  Thus  I  learned  that  the  hollow  where  the 
eggs  are  laid  is  not  a  chance  depression,  but  is  made  by  the 
bird — the  female,  so  far  as  was  observed — which,  squatting 
close,  turns  round  and  round,  actually  boring  out  a  shallow 
cavity  in  the  easily  yielding  sand. 


COBB'S  ISLAND 


71 


Apparently  only  the  female  incubates,  but  the  much 
larger  male  often  comes  and  stands  by  her  side  while  she 
sits  on  the  eggs,  a  pleasant  picture  in  bird  life  suggestive  of 
domestic  harmony.  In  all  the  pictures  made  of  the  sitting 
bird  from  the  front,  one  or  two  of  the  eggs  can  be  seen 
through  the  breast  feathers,  as  though  the  bird  had  a  larger 
" clutch"  than  she  could  cover.  The  period  of  incubation  I 
had  no  means  of  determining,  but  certain  it  is  that  once  the 
chick  announces  his  coming  by  a  chicken-like  peep,  the  trans- 


' •   ".         -  •••*--  .  , 

^  >•'".",  •      '  vv  ,:.-.,     •'  f 

Three  Young  Skimmers 
"  Squat  close  to  the  sand  with  neck  stretched  out " 

formation  of  a  pipped  egg  into  a  bright-eyed  downy  Skim- 
mer, endowed  with  all  the  instincts  of  its  kind,  is  a  matter  of 
only  two  and  one-half  or  three  hours. 

As  soon  as  the  nestling  emerges  from  the  egg,  the  shell 
is  taken  by  the  parent,  and,  so  far  as  was  observed,  carried 
out  of  sight;  a  singular  custom,  common  to  most  birds. 
The  habit  is  doubtless  of  importance  to  a  tree-nesting  bird, 
where  the  egg-shell  below  might  advertise  the  young  bird 
above ;  but  why,  with  a  beach-nesting  species  an  egg-shell 
should  be  considered  more  conspicuous  than  an  egg  it  is 


TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 


Gull-billed  Tern  on  Nest 

hard  to  say ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  once  it  has 
released  its  contents,  it  must  be  disposed  of  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

The  chicks  seem  to  appear  on  successive  days,  and  to 
leave  the  nest  when  a  day  or  two  old.  They  are  fed  on  small 
fish  and  doubtless  other  forms  of  aquatic  life,  which,  at  first, 
may  be  partially  digested  by  the  parent  bird.  Whether 
or  not  each  parent  finds  its  own  chicks  when  the  beach 
becomes  alive  with  hungry  youngsters,  cannot  be  confirmed 
definitely,  though  there  is  evidence  to  show  not  only  that  the 
old  birds  recognize  their  offspring,  but  that  the  latter  know 
their  parents. 

So  singular  in  form  is  the  bill  of  the  adult  Skimmer,  that 
Buff  on  described  it  as  an  "  awkward  and  defective  instru- 
ment " ;  a  somewhat  surprising  conclusion  to  proceed  from 
so  learned  a  naturalist,  and  one  which  Wilson  pronounced 
an  "impiety."  With  the  lower  mandible  averaging  half  an 
inch  longer  than  the  upper,  and  with  both  so  thin  and  flexible 


COBB'S  ISLAND 


73 


that  they  can  be  bent  as  readily  as  a  table  knife,  one  might 
be  pardoned  for  believing  the  Skimmer 's  bill  a  deformity ; 
but  the  belief  is  quickly  dispelled  when  once  the  bird  is  seen 
feeding.  Flying  low,  with  bill  opened  wide,  the  lower  man- 
dible cuts  the  water  like  a  knife  edge,  as  the  birds  actually 
skim  the  surface  for  fish  and  small  forms  of  aquatic  life. 


Laughing  Gulls  on  Their  Nests  in  the  Marsh 

In  the  newly  hatched  bird,  it  is  of  exceeding  interest  to 
observe  that  the  mandibles  are  of  virtually  equal  length,  and 
the  lower  mandible  does  not  become  pronouncedly  longer 
than  the  upper  until  the  bird  takes  wing.  This  may  be  con- 
sidered as  evidence  that  this  highly  specialized  character 
has  been  developed  late  in  the  history  of  the  species ;  or  the 
development  of  the  bill  may  be  a  correlation  in  growth  which 
defers  the  perfection  of  an  organ  until  it  can  be  successfully 
employed.  Certainly  without  the  power  of  flight,  a  Skimmer 
could  not '  *  skim. ' '  Until,  therefore,  the  bird  can  fly,  it  sup- 
plements the  supply  of  food  brought  by  the  parents  by  pick- 
ing up  a  living  along  the  beach. 

Skimmers  were  frequently  seen  feeding  during  the  day, 
particularly  along  the  meeting  line  of  sand  and  sea,  where 


74  TWO  ATLANTIC  COAST  ISLANDS 

they  gleaned  from  the  burden  of  the  waves ;  but  it  was  at 
dusk  that  they  became  really  active.  Then  they  followed  the 
course  of  the  streams  winding  through  the  marsh,  now  skim- 
ming for  a  short  distance,  again  rising  slightly  and  uttering 
a  sharp  yap,  yap,  like  a  pack  of  hounds  on  the  trail. 

In  addition  to  the  Skimmers,    the  breeding  birds  on 
Cobb 's  Island  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  were  several  hundred 


Laughing  Gull  on  Nest 

Common  Terns,  a  small  number  of  Forster's  Terns,  about 
eight  pairs  of  Gull-billed  Terns,  a  pair  each  of  Oyster-catch- 
ers, Willet,  and  Wilson 's  Plovers,  several  hundred  Laugh- 
ing Gulls,  and  many  Clapper  Kail.  The  young  Bails  furn- 
ished the  principal  fare  of  several  cats  which  Mr.  Cobb  had 
brought  to  the  island  to  kill  the  meadow  mice  which  de- 
stroyed the  sails  and  rigging  of  his  boats. 

Two  pairs  of  Gull-billed  Terns  were  nesting  in  the  Skim- 
mer colony  to  which  I  devoted  my  attention,  where,  aside 
from  the  difference  in  their  eggs,  the  Terns'  nests  were  at 


COBB'S  ISLAND  75 

once  distinguishable  from  the  Skimmers '  by  the  large  num- 
ber of  shells  which  had  obviously  been  arranged  about  them. 
The  Terns'  light,  thin,  somewhat  reedy  tee-tee-tee,  which 
sometimes  suggested  a  weak-voiced  katy-did,  was  a  readily 
identifiable  note. 

From  my  blind  among  the  Skimmers,  I  could  look  out 
over  the  marsh  where  the  Laughing  Gulls  nested,  and  in  the 
morning  the  breasts  of  the  birds  facing  the  east  looked  like 
great  white  flowers  with  which  the  marsh  was  dotted.  No 
attempt  was  made  to  study  these  birds,  but  they  were  pho- 
tographed without  difficulty  by  erecting  bundles  of  grass  on 
tripods  near  the  nests,  one  evening,  and  replacing  them  with 
grass-covered  cameras,  the  following  morning.  Exposures 
were  made  with  a  thread  run  to  the  blind,  (which  was  made 
to  resemble  a  musk-rat's  nest),  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
away.  Some  nests  contained  newly  hatched  birds,  and  com- 
parison of  their  black  and  umber  down,  so  like,  in  general 
tone  the  color  of  their  nest,  with  the  gray  down  of  the 
young  Skimmer,  which  might  be  described  as  sand  rendered 
in  feathers,  shows  how  perfectly  each  helpless  chick 
matches  its  own  background. 


Newly  Hatched  Laughing  Gull 


PART   III. 
FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

PELICAN    ISLAND 

THE  FLORIDA  GREAT  BLUE  HERON 
AND  THE  WATER  TURKEY 
THE  AMERICAN  EGRET 
CUTHBERT    ROOKERY 


Young  American  Egrets 
"Alert  and  eager  expectancy"     (p.  134.) 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 
INTRODUCTORY 

From  the  time  of  Catesby,  in  1730,  Florida  has  been  the 
Mecca  of  American  ornithologists.  Bartram,  Ord,  Audu- 
bon,  Bryant,  Allen,  Merriam,  Maynard,  Scott,  Brewster, 
Ridgway  and  scores  of  other  bird  students  have  been  at- 
tracted by  the  bird-life  of  a  region,  which,  not  only  far 
exceeded  in  interest  that  of  any  other  part  of  our  country, 
but  in  some  respects  was  possibly  not  equalled  by  that  of 
any  other  part  of  the  world. 

As  compared  with  that  of  other  states,  the  bird-life  of 
Florida  is  distinguished  first,  by  the  occurrence  of  certain 
West  Indian  species ;  second,  by  the  evolution  of  certain 
strongly  marked  geographical  races  or  nascent  species; 
third,  by  the  continued  existence  there  of  species  which  have 
become  rare  or  extinct  in  other  parts  of  North  America ; 
fourth,  by  the  presence  of  several  western  birds  not  found 
elsewhere  on  the  Atlantic  Coast,  and  fifth,  by  the  great  de- 
velopment of  those  communal  gatherings  of  birds  in  what 
are  generally  termed  "  rookeries." 

As  a  result  of  its  geographical  position,  fifteen  West 
Indian  or  tropical  species  have  been  recorded  from  Florida, 
only  one  of  which  is  found  regularly  beyond  the  southern 
part  of  the  state ;  most  of  them,  in  fact,  being  summer  vis- 
itants to  the  Keys.  Of  the  number  named  three  have  been 
found  in  Florida  but  once  or  twice.  On  the  whole,  therefore, 
the  West  Indian  element  in  Florida's  bird-life  is  smaller 
than  the  proximity  of  the  state  to  certain  West  Indian  isl- 
ands might  lead  one  to  expect.  The  Biminis  in  the  Bahamas, 
for  example,  are  only  forty  miles  from  Cape  Florida ;  never- 
theless such  characteristic  Bahama  birds  as  the  Grassquits 


SO  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

(Euetheia),  Honey  Creeper  (Certhiola),  Ani  (Crotophaga), 
are  unknown  or  accidental  in  Florida,  though  they  are  com- 
mon on  the  Biminis  as  well  as  Great  Bahama  fifty  miles 
farther  north. 

A  combination  of  climatic  conditions  and  peninsular  iso- 
lation acting,  for  the  most  part,  on  permanently  resident 
species,  has  resulted  in  the  development,  in  Florida,  of  some 
twenty-three  more  or  less  well  marked  geographical  races 
or  species  of  birds  in  the  making.  Some  of  these  extend 
northward,  up  the  Lower  Austral  Coast  strip  to  South  Car- 
olina and  westward  to  Louisiana,  while  others  are  confined 
to  the  southern  half  of  the  state.  As  a  rule,  they  are  smaller 
in  size  and  darker  in  color  than  their  more  northern  repre- 
sentatives. 

Florida,  however,  is  not  only  making  new  species  but  it 
has  preserved  old  ones.  The  Sandhill  Crane,  now  extinct  as 
a  breeding  bird  in  most  of  the  northern  states  where  it  was 
formerly  common,  is  still  abundant  in  certain  parts  of  south 
central  Florida;  the  Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  is  now  found, 
outside  of  Florida,  only  in  Louisiana;  the  Carolina  Paro 
quet,  once  numerous  in  all  the  eastern  states  south  of  Vir- 
ginia, is  now  found  only  in  Florida,  and  the  last  United 
States  individuals  of  the  Snowy  Egret,  Reddish  Egret,  and 
Roseate  Spoonbill  will  doubtless  be  found  in  Florida. 

Probably  it  is  to  this  state's  preserving  influences,  act- 
ing over  a  much  longer  period,  that  we  may  attribute  the 
presence  there  of  birds  with  such  close  western  affiliations 
as  the  Burrowing  Owl  and  Florida  Jay ;  both  of  which  so 
closely  resemble  their  representatives  in  our  western  states 
as  to  be  considered  essentially  similar  to  them.  Probably 
the  wide  area  intervening  between  the  range  of  the  Florida 
and  western  species  was,  where  favorable,  at  one  time  occu- 
pied by  both  Jays  and  Owls ;  but  whatever  the  reason  for 
their  extinction  there,  whether  the  cold  of  a  Glacial  Period  ov 
some  more  recent  agent,  it  apparently  was  not  active  in  Flor- 
ida, which,  beyond  question,  must  have  been  the  retreat  for 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE  81 

many  species  which  were  forced  southward  during  the  Ice 
Age.  Perhaps  to  the  influence  of  this  profound  climatic 
change  we  may  attribute  the  presence  of  the  Great  Auk  in 
Florida,  as  attested  by  the  remains  of  this  boreal  bird  in  a 
shell-mound  near  Ormond. 

Interesting  as  are  the  various  factors  thus  far  men- 
tioned, their  results  are  appreciated  mainly  by  the  bird  stu- 
dent, and  it  is  to  the  development  of  its  ' '  rookeries ' '  that  the 
bird-life  of  Florida  owes  its  most  distinguishing  feature  and 
greatest  charm. 

In  our  southern  states,  " rookery"  (pronounced  ruke- 
ry)  is  the  term  uniformly  applied  to  nesting  colonies  of 
birds.  Such  gatherings  may  be  made  of  from  one  to  several 
species,  but,  because  of  their  commercial  importance,  one 
more  frequently  hears  of  Heron  rookeries;  particularly 
such  as  are  tenanted  by  ' '  Long ' '  and  ' '  Short  Whites, ' '  a? 
the  aigrette-bearing  Herons  are  called.  There  may,  however, 
be  Ibis,  Cormorant,  Water  Turkey  or  Pelican  rookeries. 
From  rookery  we  have  in  common  use,  among  plumers,  at 
least,  the  verb  to  rook,  which,  in  its  past  tense,  becomes 
rooked  or  even  rooketed,  while  the  participle  is  rookin' . 

In  addition  to  its  southern  position,  Florida's  number- 
less lakes,  extensive  bayous,  marshes,  and  shallow  shores 
abounding  in  food ;  its  cypress  swamps,  "willow-heads," 
and  mangroves,  suitable  for  nesting,  have  made  it  an  ideal 
home  for  those  aquatic  birds  which  nest  in  colonies,  in  trees 
or  bushes  growing,  preferably,  in  water.  Of  these  birds, 
Herons,  Egrets,  Ibises,  Spoonbills,  and  others,  the  state 
once  possessed  a  marvelous  store,  but  be  it  said  to  Florida's 
everlasting  disgrace  that,  until  the  honorable  industry  of 
shooting  birds  at  their  nests  became  no  longer  profitable, 
she  raised  no  hand  to  save  herself  from  being  despoiled  of 
this  rich  heritage.  Even  then,  the  passage  of  laws  was 
secured  only  through  influence  from  without.  The  laws,  how- 
ever, were  not  observed,  and  all  efforts  to  secure  conviction 
under  them  failed. 


82  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

It  is  small  satisfaction  to  the  bird-lover  to  know  that 
Florida  herself  is  the  greatest  sufferer  from  the  niggardly 
short-sightedness  which  allowed  the  agents  of  northern  mil- 
liners to  loot  her  of  her  treasures.  Her  loss  was  their  profit. 
The  few  thousands  paid  the  plumers  is  a  pitiful  sum  when 
one  considers  the  real  value  of  what  has  been  irretrievably 
lost. 

This  was  not  a  case  of  civilization's  advance,  before 
which,  of  necessity,  certain  forms  of  life  must  disappear. 
The  marshes  and  swamps,  river,  lake  and  sea  shore,  once 
animated  by  snowy  plumaged  Herons,  and  Ibises,  and  by 
Roseate  Spoonbills,  still  exist  and  will  long  continue  to  exist 
as  they  were  when  the  birds  glorified  them. 

This  is  rather  a  case  where  the  lack  of  civilization  may 
be  held  accountable.  If  the  laws  were  respected,  these  birds 
might  be  just  as  abundant  in  Florida  to-day  as  they  ever 
were,  when  the  marvel  of  this  nature 's  aviary  would  form 
an  attraction  such  as  the  state  can  never  hope  to  possess 
again. 

I  began  my  study  of  Florida  birds  in  1886  and  have  con- 
tinued it  at  intervals  to  the  present  time.  In  another  con- 
nection, I  hope  to  present  the  results  of  researches  which 
have  covered  the  greater  part  of  the  peninsular ;  here  are 
given  only  certain  special  studies,  made  mainly  while  gath- 
ering material  for  the  groups  of  American  birds  previously 
mentioned. 


PELICAN  ISLAND 

HISTORY   OF   THE   ISLAND 

That  long,  narrow  bay  or  lagoon  on  the  east  coast  of 
Florida  known  as  the  Indian  River,  contains  hundreds  of 
mangrove-covered  islets  all  singularly  alike  in  character,  but 
as  far  back  as  the  record  goes  one  of  them,  possessing  not 
more  than  three  acres,  has  been  the  principal  nesting  resort 
of  the  Brown  Pelicans  of  this  region  and,  at  the  present 
time,  these  birds  are  not  known  to  breed  at  any  other  place 
on  the  Atlantic  Coast  of  Florida.  In  ' '  Bird  Studies  with  a 
Camera,"  (pp.  191-214),  I  have  given  the  results  of  observa 
tions  made  on  Pelican  Island  in  March,  1898.  When  neces- 
sary, however,  for  the  sake  of  completeness,  some  of  this 
material  is  incorporated  with  the  results  of  the  later  studies 
contained  in  this  chapter. 

In  1858,  Dr.  Henry  Bryant,  whose  enterprise  in  ornitho- 
logical exploration  deserves  far  higher  recognition  than  it 
has  commonly  received,  wrote  (Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 
VII,  1859,  p.  19) : 

That  "the  most  extensive  breeding  place "  he  visited  in 
Florida  * ;  was  on  a  small  island,  called  Pelican  Island,  about 
twenty  miles  north  of  Fort  Capron.  The  nests  here  were 
placed  on  the  tops  of  mangrove-trees,  which  were  about  the 
size  and  shape  of  large  apple-trees.  Breeding  in  company 
with  the  Pelicans  were  thousands  of  Herons,  Peale  's  Egret, 
the  Eufous  Egret  and  Little  White  Egret,  with  a  few  pairs 
of  the  Great  Blue  Heron,  and  Eoseate  Spoonbills ;  and  im- 
mense numbers  of  Man-of-War  Birds  and  White  Ibises 
were  congregated  upon  the  island.  *  *  *." 

Of  the  birds  mentioned  by  Dr.  Bryant,  the  Pelican  alone 
remains ;  while  of  the  trees  which  covered  the  island  at  the 
time  of  his  visit,  not  a  single  one  is  living.  In  1898,  when  I 


84  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

first  saw  Pelican  Island,  there  were  still  enough  mangroves 
to  afford  many  of  the  birds  the  arboreal  type  of  nesting  site 
characteristic  of  their  species ;  but  the  birds  which  could  not 
secure  a  building  lot  in  a  tree  were  forced  to  place  their 
house  upon  the  ground. 

This  transition  period  has  now  passed.  The  mangroves, 
here  near  the  northern  limit  of  their  range,  have  suffered  by 
the  "freezes"  of  recent  Florida  winters,  while  their  exces- 
sive use  by  the  birds — which  in  some  instances  placed  as 
many  as  seven  nests  in  a  single  tree — has  prevented  their 
recovering  from  the  effects  of  low  temperature. 

From  a  mound  of  glossy  green  foliage  Pelican  Island, 
within  a  period  of  fifty  years,  has  thus  become  a  treeless 
mud-flat,  largely  grass-grown,  but  still  it  is  beloved  by  the 
Pelicans,  the  impelling  motive  which  prompts  them  to  return 
to  this  particular  spot  being  evidently  stronger  than  that 
which  induced  them  to  nest  in  trees. 

I  know  of  only  two  occasions  when  the  Pelicans  failed  to 
establish  their  yearly  nursery  on  the  islet  of  their  choice. 
Once  they  were  driven  away  by  that  curse  of  Florida, 
irresponsible,  gun-bearing  tourists.  Landing  on  the  island 
they  shot  the  inhabitants  in  large  numbers  and  left  them  to 
rot  in  the  mud.  The  survivors  retreated  but  established 
quarters  on  the  nearest  islet. 

The  second  time  the  Pelicans  deserted  their  ancestral 
home,  they  were  driven  away  not  by  enemies  but  by  friends. 
Prior  to  the  passage  of  the  present  admirable  bird-protec- 
tive law  in  Florida,  the  Pelicans  were  at  the  mercy  of  every 
man  with  a  gun.  A  demand  from  milliners  arose  for  their 
wing-quills,  and  it  was  feared  that  at  any  time  Pelican 
Island  might  be  attacked.  An  effort  was  made  to  buy  it  from 
the  government,  but  the  red-tape  knots  of  the  Land  Office 
defied  untying  until,  on  presentation  of  the  case  to  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt,  he,  with  characteristic  directness,  severed 
them  by  declaring  Pelican  Island  a  Federal  Reserve.  The 
National  Association  of  Audubon  Societies,  co-operating 


PELICAN  ISLAND  85 

with  the  government,  immediately  appointed  a  warden  who 
was  empowered  to  prevent  trespass,  and  erected  on  the 
island  a  large  sign  proclaiming  its  population  to  be  wards  of 
the  government. 

The  future  safety  of  the  Pelicans  now  seemed  assured,  but 
on  visiting  the  island  in  April,  1904, 1  found  to  my  surprise 
and  disgust,  that  with  a  uniformity  of  action  which  left  no 
doubt  as  to  their  attitude,  the  birds  had  expressed  their  dis- 
approval of  the  whole  arrangement  by  failing  to  return  to 
the  island.  For  the  first  time  in  its  history  not  a  nest  was 
made  or  an  egg  laid  upon  it,  but  the  two  nearest  islands  con- 
tained over  700  nests. 

In  November,  1904,  the  beginning  of  the  nesting  season, 
when  the  Pelican  clans  began  to  gather,  it  was  evident  that 
the  great  sign  announcing  Federal  possession  of  the  home 
of  their  forefathers  appeared  to  cause  them  much  uneasi- 
ness, whereupon  the  warden,  who  had  long  suspected  the 
root  of  the  trouble,  removed  the  offending  boards,  and  the 
birds  at  once  returned  to  their  heritage,  built  their  homes, 
and  reared  their  families,  as  the  accompanying  pictures, 
made  during  the  season  in  question  abundantly  prove. 

Consequently,  we  may  infer  from  this  incident  either 
that  the  Pelican  can  read  and  has  strong  political  prejudi- 
ces which  prompt  it  to  refuse  favors  from  the  administra- 
tion which  has  preserved  its  home,  or  that  it  lacks  sufficient 
discrimination  to  realize  that  a  board  painted  white  with 
black  marks  and  held  upright  by  two  posts  is  perfectly 
harmless. 

However  this  may  be,  the  fact  remains  that,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  their  well-wishers,  the  birds  have  entered  no 
objection  to  the  small  signs  which  have  replaced  the  large 
one,  but  return  to  the  island  in  increasing  numbers  each 
year  under  the  guardianship  of  the  government. 

Pelican  Island  is  the  most  interesting  bird  colony  it  has 
been  my  privilege  to  visit.  This  is  due  in  part  to  the  habits 
of  the  birds,  in  part  to  the  conditions  which  usually  create 


86  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

great  variability  in  the  time  of  laying  and  development  of 
the  young,  so  that  during  March  and  April  one  may  see  at  a 
glance  every  phase  of  the  birds '  home-life  from  the  egg  to 
the  bird  on  the  wing,  and  in  part  to  the  growing  tameness  of 
the  birds,  which  by  the  exercise  of  a  little  caution,  one  may 
observe  under  terms  of  exceptional  intimacy. 

But  this  bird  colony  is  not  only  the  most  interesting  in 
my  experience,  it  is  also  the  most  accessible.  Here  one  has 
to  encounter  no  dangers  of  sea  or  cliff,  no  flood  and  desola- 
tion of  Bahaman  * '  swash, ' '  no  mosquitoes  and  moccasins  of 
noisome  marsh.  On  the  contrary  a  trip  to  Pelican  Island  is 
as  delightful  an  outing  as  one  may  have  in  Florida.  A  ' '  Pull- 
man ' '  brings  one  to  any  of  the  scores  of  resorts  on  the  east 
coast  water  ways.  One  has  then  only  to  secure  the  needed 
permit  from  Warden  Kroegel  at  Sebastian,  when  all  the  rest 
is  plain  sailing  or  motoring,  as  the  case  may  be.  Thanks, 
therefore,  to  the  efforts  of  bird  students,  seconded  by  a  sym- 
pathetic administration,  Pelican  Island  should  long  continue 
to  delight  visiting  nature-lovers  as  well  as  to  supply  our 
south  Atlantic  coast  with  a  singularly  interesting  form  of 
life. 

THE  RETURN  OF  THE  BIRDS 

The  records  of  AVarden  Kroegel  show  that,  as  a  rule,  Pel- 
icans, in  flocks  of  from  500  to  1,000  arrive,  apparently  at 
night,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pelican  Island  about  November  ] . 
At  first  they  stay  on  the  river,  their  numbers  rapidly 
increasing,  and  during  this  time  they  sail  for  hours  over  the 
island,  possibly  engaged  in  mating  evolutions.  The  clans 
having  gathered,  at  the  end  of  the  week  the  birds  in  a  body 
take  to  the  island.  Nest-building  is  begun  at  once,  and  the 
first  eggs  are  laid  by  December  1. 

The  season  of  1907-08  was  exceptional.  The  birds  ar- 
rived earlier  than  usual ;  and  the  first  eggs  were  laid  Novem- 
ber 5.  Warden  Kroegel  estimates  that  when  they  first  came 
there  were  fully  7,000  birds ;  but  this  number  soon  decreased 


•g    « 

II 


ii 


88  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

and  only  1,500  nests  were  built.    This  would  imply  a  breed 
ing  colony  of  only  3,000  birds,  but    what  became  of  the 
remaining  4,000  birds  is  a  mystery. 

Possibly  this  variation  in  nesting  date  was  occasioned  by 
the  exceptional  climatic  conditions  which  prevailed  in  Flor- 
ida during  the  preceding  year,  when  for  a  period  of  seven 
months  no  rain  fell. 

Whatever  may  be  the  cause  or  causes  for  this  variability 
in  the  date  of  the  Pelicans'  migration — for  it  is  true  migra- 
tion— it  is  evident  that  they  act  upon  all  the  birds  uniformly. 

The  island  colony  is  not  formed  gradually,  virtually  all 
the  birds  come  at  once,  moved  by  a  common  impulse.  What 
is  it?  It  is  not  a  question  of  food,  for  the  birds  rarely  feed 
near  their  nesting  place.  It  is  not  a  question  of  climate,  for 
they  do  not  ero  far  enough  from  their  breeding  resort  to 
experience  climatic  change  when  returning  to  it.  The  imme- 
diate cause  of  the  journey  is  doubtless  physiological  and  the 
prompting  comes  from  within.  With  birds  the  season  of  re- 
production is  periodic,  and  with  migratory  species,  whether 
the  journey  be  to  a  near-by  island  or  to  another  zone, 
the  return  to  the  breeding  ground  is  only  one  phenomenon  in 
a  cycle  of  events  which  includes,  in  regular  order,  migration, 
courtship,  egg-laying,  incubation,  the  care  of  the  young,  the 
molt,  and  the  retreat  to  winter  quarters. 

Newly  awakening  sexual  activities  now  stimulate  the 
flocking  impulse  and  the  birds  doubtless  gather  in  small 
companies  later  to  be  merged  in  one  great  flock  as  they  are 
brought  together  by  the  instinct  which  leads  them  to  the 
place  of  their  birth.  The  actual  return  to  the  island  is  ap- 
parently not  made  until  the  last  comers  have  arrived,  and 
we  have  here  a  partial  parallel  to  the  roosting  of  Crows 
which,  assembling  in  some  near-by  field,  do  not  enter  the 
roost  until  apparently  the  last  bird  has  come,  when  they 
arise  to  seek  their  resting-places  for  the  night. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  while  the  Pelicans  of  the  east 
coast  of  Florida  begin  to  lay  in  November,  those  of  the  west 


PELICAN  ISLAND  89 

coast  do  not  nest  until  April,  the  earliest  recorded  date  for 
egg-laying  being  April  21.  There  is  occasionally  a  supple- 
mentary breeding  season  on  Pelican  Island ;  from  one  hun~ 
dred  to  three  hundred  birds  sometimes  laying  late  in  April. 
Whether  this  represents  a  first  or  second  brood  is  unknown, 
but  it  is  apparently  comparable  to  the  normal  west  coast 
breeding  season. 

That  there  should  be  six 
months  difference  in  the 
breeding  time  of  birds  which 
pass  their  year  under  essen- 
tially similar  conditions,  is  as 
surprising  as  though  the 
mangroves  of  eastern  Flor- 
ida were  to  blossom  half  a 
year  earlier  than  those  of  the 
west  coast.  With  the  infor- 
mation now  at  our  command 
the  case  appears  to  be  inex- 
plicable. 

As  late  at  least  as  April  1 
one  rarely  if  ever  sees  a 
Brown  Pelican  on  the  gulf 
coast  of  Florida  with  the  full 
brown  hind  neck  of  the  breed- 
ing plumage ;  while  on  the  At- 
lantic Coast  I  have  seen  but  AdultPelicansinBreeding  (brown 

one  adult  bird  with  the  white       neck)   and  Non-breeding  (white 

hind  neck  of  the  non-breeding 

plumage.  Birds  from  the  two  coasts  possibly  therefore  do 
not  intermingle  and  the  difference  in  their  nesting  seasons 
which  this  difference  in  plumage  correlates,  may  be  a  result 
of  long  continued  isolation.  The  April  nesting  of  a  few  east 
coast  birds  may,  therefore,  represent  the  survival  of  a  near- 
Iv  obsolete  habit. 


90  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

THE  PELICAN'S  HOME-LIFE 

In  March,  1898,  I  anchored  my  sloop  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  Pelican  Island  and  for  the  greater  part  of  four 
days  and  nights  gave  my  attention  to  the  life  of  the  island. 
I  returned  to  the  island  in  April,  1900,  using  the  same 
methods  of  study  as  before.  At  no  time,  however,  were  the 
birds  unaware  of  my  presence  and  it  was  not  until  a  blind 
was  employed  in  April,  1905,  and  in  March,  1908,  that  I  real- 
ly entered  the  inner  circles  of  Pelican  society.  Erected 
among  the  thickly  set  nests  it  was  shortly  accepted  as  a  part 
of  the  landscape,  and  so  far  as  the  Pelicans  were  concerned, 
I  left  the  island  when  I  entered  the  blind.  Soon  the  birds 
began  to  return  to  the  nests  or  young  they  had  reluctantly 
deserted  at  my  approach,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  routine 
of  Pelican  Island  was  resumed ;  and  one  experienced  the 
wholesome  satisfaction  and  quite  indescribable  fascination 
of  being  closely  surrounded  by  wild  creatures,  that,  un- 
aware of  your  existence,  live  their  lives  in  an  absolutely 
natural  manner. 

With  a  wing  spread  of  between  seven  and  eight  feet,  a  Pel- 
ican is  an  impressive  bird  even  at  a  distance ;  but  when  doz- 
ens of  the  broad-pinioned  birds  swept  by  me  within  arm's 
length.  I  realized  that  given  the  excitable,  courageous  nature 
of  Terns  and  Gulls,  the  Pelicans  might  dispense  with  the 
services  of  a  warden. 

It  is  true,  a  bird  which  had  placed  its  nest  on  a  stump  six 
feet  from  my  shelter  snapped  its  bill  loudly  at  me  when  I 
peered  at  her  through  a  slit  in  my  blind.  The  young  defend 
themselves  in  a  similar  manner  until  their  wings  will  bear 
them,  when,  like  their  seniors,  they  show  their  faith  in  the 
valorous  discretion  of  flight. 

In  February,  1905,  a  norther  had  flooded  the  lower  por- 
tions of  the  island  washing  hundreds  of  eggs  from  their 
nests  and  forcing  many  birds  to  begin  household  duties 
again.  April  of  that  year  afforded,  therefore,  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  observe  many  phases  of  the  Pelican's  nest- 


92  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

ing  habits.  Birds  of  all  ages  and  voices,  from  the  grunting, 
naked,  squirming  new-born  chick  or  the  screaming,  downy 
youngster,  to  the  silent,  dignified,  white-headed  parents, 
were  within  a  few  yards  of  my  blind.  At  a  glance  I  could  see 
most  of  the  activities  of  Pelican  home-life ;  nest  building, 
laying,  incubating,  feeding  and  brooding  young,  bathing, 
preening,  sleeping,  fighting ;  while  the  great  number  of  indi- 
viduals made  it  possible  to  check  one's  observation 
repeatedly. 

The  early  return  of  the  birds  in  the  fall  of  1907  in  con- 
nection with  a  favorable  season,  resulted  in  an  exceptionally 
uniform  and  rapid  development  of  their  domestic  affairs, 
giving  me  in  March,  1908,  an  opportunity  to  study  the  colony 
at  a  more  advanced  stage  than  I  had  previously  found  it. 
The  following  outline  of  the  bird's  home-life  is  based  chiefly 
on  the  observations  made  in  1905  and  1908  in  connection 
with  certain  facts  supplied  by  Warden  Kroegel. 

The  Nest. — Even  in  the  tropics  birds,  as  a  rule,  do  not 
nest  until  spring  or  earty  summer,  when  a  return  of  the 
rainy  season  assures  them  of  an  abundance  of  food  for  their 
young ;  but  the  Pelican  woos  his  mate  in  November,  or,  as 
we  have  seen,  even  October.  Among  such  dumb  and  unde- 
monstrative birds  courtship  must  be  a  very  solemn  affair, 
but  that  is  a  subject  we  know  very  little  about.  Apparently, 
however,  it  is  conducted  to  the  satisfaction  of  both  contract- 
ing parties,  and  with  the  happiest  results ;  for  never  have  I 
seen  indications  of  domestic  troubles  among  the  indigenes 
of  Pelicanland. 

When  there  were  still  trees  upon  the  island,  the  first 
nests  built  were  placed  in  them,  in  response  to  the  normal 
habit  of  the  species.  When  the  arboreal  sites  were  taken, 
the  remaining  birds  built  their  nests  upon  the  ground.  Now. 
however,  there  is  no  choice  and  all  the  birds  are  of  necessity 
terrestrial. 

Later  observations  confirm  the  opinion  expressed  in  1900 
("Bird  Studies  with  a  Camera,'*  p.  205)  but  questioned  in 


PELICAN  ISLAND  93 

1902  ("Bird-Lore,"  1901,  p.  1)  regarding  a  variation  in  the 
character  of  tree  and  ground  nests.  The  former  are  com- 
posed morelargely  of  sticks  with  a  lining  of  grasses  and  are, 
or  were,  often  built  upon  a  platform  or  frame  made  by  lay- 
ing heavier  sticks  from  crotch  to  crotch.  Ground  nests,  as  a 
rule,  contain  few  or  no  sticks  but  are  built  largely  or  entirely 
of  reed  grasses. 


Incubating  Pelicans 

This  nesting  material  is  found  in  abundance  on  the 
island  and  the  birds  gather  it,  take  it  from  old  nests,  or  steal 
it  from  occupied  nests.  It  is,  as  might  be  supposed,  carried 
in  the  bill. 

The  destruction  of  the  trees  on  Pelican  Island  has  pro- 
foundly affected  the  conditions  of  Pelican  life  there.  An 
arboreal  nesting  site  was  so  much  safer,  both  for  eggs  and 
young,  that  it  is  possible  the  change  to  a  terrestrial  site  has 
been  followed  by  an  increase  of  at  least  fifty  per  cent  in  the 
mortality  of  the  nesting  season. 


94  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Pelican  Island  is  unfortunately  so  low  that  a  severe 
"norther"  raises  the  water  sufficiently  to  flood  all  but  the 
sand-bar  at  its  eastern  end.  Only  those  birds  which  build 
upon  the  sands  are  secure  from  the  waves.  In  April,  1905, 
all  the  occupied  nests  were  on  the  higher,  eastern  portion  of 
the  island  and  anyone  visiting  the  island  at  this  season 
might  have  been  led  to  credit  the  birds  with  sufficient  intelli- 
gence to  select  a  nesting  site  above  high-water  mark.  Where- 
as, in  truth,  the  earlier  homes  of  many  of  these  same  birds, 
built  on  low  ground,  had  been  inundated,  and  their  eggs 
washed  from  the  nests,  were  still  scattered  about  the  island, 
as  may  be  seen  in  several  of  the  accompanying  photographs. 
Apparently,  then,  there  is  no  conscious  selection  evolved  by 
experience.  Year  after  year,  birds  nest  on  low  ground  and 
suffer  the  consequences,  while  the  higher  ground  colony  is 
established  by  the  elimination,  through  disaster,  of  the  birds 
which  do  not  resort  to  it. 

Lost  eggs  may  be  and  doubtless  usually  are  replaced 
and  it  is  rather  through  its  effects  on  the  young  birds  that 
the  ground  nesting  site  produces  so  high  a  mortality.  I  have 
never  visited  a  colony  of  nesting  birds  containing  anything 
like  the  number  of  dead  young  commonly  to  be  seen  on  Peli- 
can Island. 

Under  normal  conditions  a  Pelican  born  in  a  tree-nest 
does  not  leave  the  tree  in  which  its  home  is  placed  until  it 
makes  its  first  attempt  at  flight.  When  born  on  the  ground 
it  leaves  its  nest  as  soon  as  it  can  walk.  The  tree-born  bird 
has  therefore  not  only  a  cooler,  better  ventilated,  cleaner 
home,  but  he  is  not  brought  into  competition  with  his  fellows 
before  he  is  strong  enough  to  care  for  himself.  The  struggle 
for  food  is  severe  and  while  the  parents  make  every  effort  to 
feed  their  young,  they  are  sometimes  deceived  and  the  young 
themselves  are  at  times  robbed  of  their  food  before  they 
have  an  opportunity  to  swallow  it.  Furthermore,  the  young 
are  ten  weeks  old  before  they  can  fly  and  during  at  least  the 
first  half  of  this  period  the  flooding  of  that  portion  of  the 
island  on  which  they  were  born  would  result  fatally. 


PELICAN  ISLAND  95 

Before  the  appointment  of  a  warden  the  presence  of 
visitors  on  Pelican  Island  proved  extremely  disastrous  to 
the  young  of  the  ground  nesting  birds.  In  close  huddled 
flocks  they  were  driven  from  their  nests  to  which  doubtless 
some  birds  failed  to  return,  while  others  died  from  over- 
exertion.  This  source  of  danger  can  now  be  prevented  but 
floods  cannot  be  so  readily  controlled  and  at  intervals  the 
Pelicans  must  be  expected  to  afford  fatal  proof  of  the  com- 
parative insecurity  of  a  ground-nesting  site. 


The  Ceremony  of  Nest  Relief 

The  Eggs. — Birds  of  the  tropics  as  a  rule  lay  a  smaller 
number  of  eggs  than  their  northern  representatives ;  but  the 
White  Pelican  of  Saskatchewan  and  the  Brown  Pelican  of 
Florida  each  lay  three  eggs.  On  Pelican  Island  the  eggs  are 
generally  laid  by  December  1,  and  hatch  four  weeks  later. 

Brown  Pelicans  do  not  differ  in  color  sexually.  It  is  im- 
possible therefore  to  determine  by  external  appearance  the 
sex  of  the  sitting  bird.  Observation  from  a  blind,  however, 
reveals  the  fact  that  both  sexes  incubate,  the  change  of 
places  being  usually  preceded  by  an  interesting  little  per- 
formance which  I  have  called  the  Ceremony  of  Nest  Belief. 


93  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

As  a  rule  the  bird  on  the  nest  is  not  attended  by  its  mate, 
who  may  be  feeding,  bathing,  resting  on  the  shore,  or  sailing 
high  in  the  air.  The  returning  bird  alights  near  the  nest 
and,  with  bill  pointed  to  the  zenith,  advances  slowly,  waving 
its  head  from  side  to  side.  At  the  same  time  the  sitting 
bird  sticks  its  bill  vertically  into  the  nest,  twitches  its  half- 
spread  wings,  and  utters  a  low,  husky,  gasping  chuck,  the 
only  note  I  have  ever  heard  issue  from  the  throat  of  an  adult 
wild  Brown  Pelican.  After  five  or  six  wand-like  passes  of 
its  upraised  head,  the  advancing  bird  pauses,  when  both 
birds,  with  apparent  unconcern  begin  to  preen  their  feath- 
ers, and  a  moment  later  the  bird  that  has  been  on  duty  steps 
off  the  nest,  and  the  new  comer  at  once  takes  its  place. 

This  was  the  ' '  ceremony ' '  in  its  full  development ;  often 
it  was  not  so  complete.  Doubtless  it  possesses  some  sexual 
significance,  and  observation  points  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  relieving  bird  is  the  male  and  that  the  ceremony  is  omit- 
ted when  he  gives  place  to  his  mate. 

There  was  apparently  no  such  regularity  in  this  event  as 
exists,  for  example,  among  incubating  Pigeons  with  which 
each  sex  spends  its  appointed  time  on  the  nest. 

The  Young. — The  young  Pelican  is  distinguished  chiefly 
by  the  surprising  amount  of  noise  it  makes.  It  can  be  heard 
almost  before  it  can  be  seen ;  as  with  only  the  tip  of  its  bill 
visible  it  announces  by  a  choking  grunt  its  early  release 
from  the  egg. 

In  ' '  Bird  Studies  with  a  Camera ' '  I  have  given  some 
account  of  the  growth  of  young  Pelicans,  and  it  may  be 
stated  here  merely,  that  the  young  are  livid  black,  naked, 
and  blind  at  birth ;  the  eyes  open  the  second  day  and  at  the 
age  of  ten  or  twelve  days  a  white  down  makes  its  appear- 
ance which  in  about  a  week  more  completely  covers  the  chick. 
This  is  followed  by  the  grayish  brown  plumage  of  flight 
which  first  appears  upon  the  wings  and  is  fully  acquired 
when  the  bird  is  about  ten  weeks  old. 

The  voice,  at  first  a  choking  bark,  passes  through  a  rasp- 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


97 


ing  k-r-r-r-ring  stage  to  a  high  piercing  scream  in  the  down- 
covered  bird,  to  a  dignified  groan  in  the  bird  in  flight  plum- 
age. The  statement  in  "Bird  Studies  with  a  Camera"  that 
after  it  has  acquired  the  power  of  flight  the  young  bird,  like 
the  adult,  is  virtually  voiceless,  is  an  error,  later  observa- 
tion showing  that  the  high  scream  is  largely  a  feeding  note 
which  the  fledged  young  utter  at  least  as  long  as  they  receive 
food  from  the  parent. 

With  the  addition  of 
triplets  to  the  Pelican 
family,  domestic  prob- 
lems became  more  com- 
plicated and  the  opera- 
tion —  I  use  the  term 
advisedly — of  feeding  is 
the  most  remarkable 
performance  one  will  ob- 
serve on  Pelican  Island. 
Prior  to  using  a  blind,  I 
had  been  unable  to  dis- 
cover how  the  naked, 
blind,  squirming  Pelican 
of  a  day  or  two  old  was 
fed  by  its  great-billed 
parent.  But  with  the  ut- 
most ease  the  croaking,  wobbly  little  creature  helped  itself 
to  the  predigested  fish,  which,  regurgitated  by  the  parent 
into  the  front  end  of  its  pouch,  was  brought  within  reach  of 
its  offspring. 

This  method  is  followed  until  at  the  age  of  about  three 
weeks  the  young  are  covered  with  down,  when,  evidently 
requiring  a  larger  supply  of  food  than  their  parents  can 
prepare  for  them,  and  no  longer  needing  predigested  nour- 
ishment, they  extend  their  feeding  excursions  into  the  throat 
of  the  patient  parent,  finding  there  entire  fish,  which  in  some 
inexplicable  manner  they  generally  swallow  before  with- 


"  The  croaking,  wobbly  little  crea- 
ture helped  itself  " 


98  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

drawing  their  head.  Two  and  even  three  young  will  thus 
actively  pursue  their  search  for  food  at  the  same  time,  and 
only  their  extended  and  fluttering  wings  seem  to  keep  them 
from  disappearing  in  the  depths  of  the  cavernous  parental 
pouch.  -  •>-•  j,  j 

Not  for  a  moment  do  they  stop  their  high-voiced  squeal- 
ing, and  the  rise  and  fall  of  their  partly  muffled  screams 
indicate  the  nature  of  their  success  in  getting  food. 

Occasionally  the  poor 
judgment  of  the  parent 
allied  to  the  greed  of  the 
young,  leads  the  latter  to 
attempt  to  swallow  too 
large  a  fish,  when  the  old 
bird  saves  its  young 
from  choking  to  death  by 
forcibly  pulling  the  fish 
from  the  throat  it  re- 
fuses to  go  down.  More 
frequently  the  young 
Pelican  secures  a  fish  not 
too  large,  but  too  long 
for  it,  when  it  swallows 
it  as  far  as  it  will  go, 

and,  with  the  tail  stick- 
Young  Pelican  Feeding  .  „ 

mg     irom     its     pouch, 

quietly  waits  for  the  head  to  digest  before  it  can  en- 
compass the  whole  prize.  In  one  such  instance  the  victim 
chanced  to  be  a  needle  fish,  which,  as  it  would  not  go  down 
head  first  was  finally  taken  in  the  reverse  direction.  It  is, 
however,  when  the  brown  wing-feathers  begin  to  grow  and 
the  young  leave  the  nest  that  feeding  occasions  the  greatest 
excitement.  In  March,  1908,  an  exceptional  opportunity  was 
afforded  to  study  the  young  birds  not  only  after  they  had 
left  the  nest,  but  after  they  had  acquired  the  power  of  flight. 
The  early  nesting  of  the  fall  of  1907,  combined  with  favor- 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


99 


able  climatic  conditions,  had,  as  has  been  remarked,  resulted 
in  both  an  early  and  uniform  advance  in  the  development  of 
the  breeding  season.  Not  more  than  thirty  birds  were  still 
incubating  while  at  least  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  young 
were  on  the  wing  and  were  approximately  the  same  age. 

A  cold  spell  late  in  February  had  resulted  in  the  death 
of  at  least  five  hundred  birds  just  as  they  were  acquiring  the 


"  Extend  their  feeding  excursions  into  the  throat  of  the 
patient  parent " 

power  of  flight,  but  between  a  thousand  and  twelve  hundred 
remained. 

As  we  landed  on  the  island  these  young,  with  the  adults, 
took  flight  and  I  anticipated  little  success  in  securing  photo- 
graphic studies  of  birds,  which,  unlike  those  confined  to  the 
nest,  appeared  to  have  no  fixed  place  of  abode.  Observations 
from  a  blind,  showed,  however,  that  these  birds  evidently 
did  have  certain  definite  places,  doubtless  in  the  vicinity  of 


100 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


the  nests  in  which  they  were  born,  to  which  they  soon 
returned  after  being  disturbed,  and  it  appeared  also,  much 
to  my  surprise,  that  these  fully  fledged  birds  averaging  now 
slightly  larger  and  heavier  than  the  adults,  were  still  being 
fed  by  their  parents.  Here  indeed  was  the  reason  for  the 
continued  occupation  of  the  home-site  in  order  that  the  par- 
ent might  have  the  least  difficulty  in  locating  its  dependent 
offspring. 


Young  Pelicans  After  Feeding 
The  bird  at  the  right  has  a  needle-fish  projecting  from  its  pouch 

Under  these  circumstances  throughout  the  day,  but  par- 
ticularly in  the  afternoon,  the  island  was  in  a  constant 
uproar.  As  many  as  six  feeding  scenes  might  be  in  progress 
at  once,  each  the  center  of  a  mob  of  struggling,  screaming 
Pelicans. 

The  adult  bird  recognizes  its  own  offspring  in  part 
doubtless  by  locality,  largely  by  sight,  and  possibly  by  scent. 
Several  times  old  birds  were  seen  to  permit  a  young  one  to 
begin  to  insert  its  bill  in  their  pouch  only  to  discover  that, 
apparently,  it  was  not  their  chick,  when  it  was  denied 
further  admittance  to  the  base  of  supplies. 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


101 


The  young  evidently  distinguish  between  a  bird  which 
has  food  and  one  that  has  not,  though  so  deeply  are  the  fish 
swallowed,  that  no  difference  was  discernible  to  my  eyes ; 
but  beyond  this  they  suppress  any  discrimination  they  may 
possess.  Their  motto  is  clearly  "any  old  bird"  provided  it 


"  Mobbed  by  all  the  nest  graduates  in  the  vicinity  " 

has  something  in  its  pocket,  so  to  speak,  and  on  the  arrival 
of  such  a  bird  from  the  fishing  grounds  it  is  mobbed  by  all 
the  nest  graduates  in  the  vicinity  who  with  a  riotous  shout- 
ing and  clashing  of  wings  attempt  to  ' '  hold  it  up. ' '  Often 
the  adult  is  forced  to  seek  refuge  in  a  short  flight  and  make 
a  further  attempt  to  reach  her  young.  Again  in  the  strug- 
gle the  load  of  fish  may  be  dropped,  when  there  is  a  wild 
scramble  to  pick  it  up,  a  manner  of  feeding  at  which  the 
young  seem  adepts,  and  again,  if  the  attacking  party  be  not 
too  large,  the  parent  succeeds  in  driving  away  all  but  her 


102 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


own,  who,  once  he  has  entered  his  claim,  is  generally  permit- 
ted to  work  it  in  peace.  On  occasions,  however,  the  old  bird 
does  not  escape  so  easily  and  two  and  even  three  of  the 
young  equalling  her  in  size  succeed  in  getting  their  heads 

down  her  throat  which 
she  expands  in  a  way  a 
boa  constrictor  might 
envy.  It  might  be  imag- 
ined that  the  best  posi- 
tion for  the  adult  to 
assume  during  this  really 
terrible  operation  would 
be  on  the  ground  where 
the  neck  could  be  ex- 
panded and  the  distance 
to  the  fish  shortened,  and 
this  indeed  is  the  posi- 
tion from  which  the 
young  are  commonly 
permitted  to  secure  their 
food ;  but  not  infre- 
quently a  feeding  bird 
perched  on  a  stub  as  high  as  three  feet  and  stretched  down 
her  head  and  much  contracted  neck  toward  the  young  on  the 
ground  below. 

The  parent  does  not,  of  course,  always  have  to  fight  its 
way  through  a  mob  to  feed  its  offspring.  Often  only  a  bird 
or  two  is  to  be  driven  off  and  on  such  occasions  the  rightful 
young  assist,  the  method  of  attack  employed  by  both  being 
thrusts  of  the  bill  from  which  no  harm  appears  to  follow. 
The  actions  of  the  rejected  young  bird  are  remarkable.  With 
an  only-son  air  he  prances  confidently  up  to  the  food-bear- 
ing adult  and  without  so  much  as  by  your  leave  attempts  to 
insert  his  bill.  When,  however,  he  receives  a  blow  where  he 
expected  a  fish,  his  demonstrations  of  disappointment  are 
uncontrolled.  He  acts  like  a  bird  demented,  swinging  his 


Pelican  Feeding  a  Young  Bird  Larger 
than  Itself 


PELICAN  ISLAND  103 

head  from  side  to  side,  biting  one  wing  and  whirling  around 
to  bite  the  other  in  the  most  ludicrous  manner. 

It  is  inexplicable  that  the  same  performance,  in  an  exag- 
gerated degree,  is  gone  through  with  by  the  bird  which  has 
been  permitted  to  feed,  after  it  emerges  from  the  parent's 
pouch.  For  a  moment  it  seems  dazed,  perhaps  because  of 


Young  Pelican  after  feeding 
"  Lays  its  head  on  the  ground  as  though  it  had  received  a  violent  blow  " 

lack  of  air  as  well  as  by  the  size  of  the  meal  it  has  secured. 
It  lays  its  head  on  the  ground  as  though  it  had  received  a 
violent  blow,  but  soon  this  apparent  semi-consciousness  is 
followed  by  the  most  violent  reaction  as  the  bird  arising  to 
its  feet  grasps  its  wing,  waves  its  head  and  behaves  in  the 
same  crazy  way  as  the  bird  which  has  been  denied  a  meal. 
Possibly  this  surprising  exercise  may  aid  the  bird  in  swal- 
lowing, when  the  same  exhibition  after  the  bird  has 
attempted  and  failed  to  get  a  meal,  should  be  considered  the 
result  of  suggestion. 

The  young  Pelican  although  repeatedy  disowned  is  often 
persistent  in  its  demands  for  food  and  when  only  two  young 
are  present  the  parent  frequently  finds  difficulty  in  adminis- 
tering to  her  own.  Even  when  the  right  bird  has  succeeded 
in  finally  establishing  connections  with  its  parent,  the 


104  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

stranger  may  join  it  and  not  only  share  the  meal  but  force 
the  first  comer  from  the  table  without  the  old  bird  appar- 
ently being  aware  of  the  change. 

The  young  Pelican  is  not  particular  as  to  his  choice  of 
food  and  on  four  occasions  during  the  absence  of  the  brood- 
ing parent,  which  had  taken  wing  at  my  approach,  I  saw 
fully  grown  birds  take  half -naked  young,  about  the  size  of 
plucked  Pigeons,  from  the  nest  and  devour  them,  several 
sometimes  struggling  to  secure  the  prize.  Where  ground- 
nesting  Pelicans  are  disturbed  this  canibalism  must 
appreciably  increase  the  mortality  of  the  nesting  season. 


Young  Pelican  After  Feeding 
The  lump  in  the  bird's  throat  is  a  young  Pelican  it  has  just  swallowed 

Birds  which  capture  their  food  by  diving  from  the  air  do 
not  as  a  rule,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  inherit  this 
method  of  feeding  but  acquire  it  through  imitation  of  their 
seniors.  The  fact  that  adult  Pelicans  rarely  if  ever  fish 
near  Pelican  Island  gave  me  no  opportunity  of  observing 
the  young  with  the  adult  on  its  feeding  grounds. 

The  Adult.— No  one  can  look  a  Pelican  squarely  in  the 
eye  without  being  impressed  by  the  bird's  reserved,  grave 
dignity.  The  same  patriarchal  bearing  in  a  man  suggests 
years  of  fruitful  experience  and  the  learning  of  sages  and 
prophets. 

Is  the  bird  a  feathered  caricature  of  a  human  prototype, 


PELICAN  ISLAND  105 

or  does  its  white  head  contain  the  wisdom  its  owner 's  out- 
ward experience  so  strongly  suggests.  In  short,  where  in 
the  psychological  scale,  shall  we  place  this  bird  of  imposing 
presence  ? 

I  have  made  no  experiments  designed  to  determine  the 
mental  status  of  the  Brown  Pelican  on  which,  however,  my 
observations  may  throw  some  light. 

During  that  three  months 
of  the  year  when  the  wants 
of  its  offspring  make  the 
heaviest  demands  upon  the 
adult,  the  Pelican's  daily 
activities  apparently  follow 
a  regular  routine.  At  the 
first  hint  of  dawn  certain 
birds,  whether  always  .the 
same  or  of  the  same  sex  it 
would  be  difficult  to  deter- 
mine, leave  the  island  for 
distant  fishing  grounds,  fly- 
ing diagonally  northeast  or 
southeast  over  a  regularly 
traveled  air  line  to  the  sea 
and  then  following  the  coast 
line  north  or  south  as  the 
case  may  be.  With  a  favor- 
able wind  they  travel  high 
before  it,  with  a  head  wind 

they     Skim      low     over      the        '' For  distant  fishing  grounds '> 

waves,  usually  just  outside  the  breakers. 

When  several  birds  happen  to  leave  together  over  the 
same  route  the  characteristic  diagonal,  single-file  flock  is 
soon  formed  and  the  birds  progress  by  alternately  flapping 
and  sailing  in  unison,  the  first  flap  after  the  sail  being 
usually  given  by  the  leader,  not  necessarily  because  he  is 
the  leader  but  because  being  in  advance  he  doubtless 


106 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


encounters  greater  air  resistance  and  is  the  first  to  lose 
momentum  when  sailing.  It  is  said  that  the  birds  go  as  far 
as  forty  miles  to  reach  favorite  fishing  grounds,  near  Cape 
Canaveral  for  instance,  but  I  have  never  seen  them  farther 
than  ten  miles  from  home,  when,  however,  they  showed  no 
signs  of  stopping. 


The  First  Upward  Stroke  of  the  Wing  Preceding  Flight 
Note  the  separation  and  angle  of  the  five  outer  primaries 

Almost  invariably  the  returning  birds  are  in  flocks  of 
from  three  or  four  to  as  many  as  fifty  and  these  lines  of 
stately  creatures  flying  steadily  with  striking  power  and 
regularity  of  movement  constitute  one  of  the  impressive 
sights  of  the  Florida  coast. 

The  flock  formation  is  maintained  until  the  birds  reach 
the  island,  when  they  separate  to  proceed  directly  to  their 
homes,  situated  perhaps  in  different  parts  of  the  colony. 


PELICAN  ISLAND  107 

The  time  of  the  return  is  doubtless  more  or  less 
governed  by  the  success  of  the  expedition,  but  the  young 
seem  to  be  fed  most  actively  between  eight  and  ten  in  the 
morning  and  two  and  four  in  the  afternoon.  The  latest 
fishers  reach  the  island  when  it  is  too  dark  to  distinguish 
minor  details  of  the  landscape  and  at  such  times  I  have  had 


The  Pelican  Yawn 

them  sweep  by  within  a  few  yards;  nevertheless  they 
appear  to  go  to  their  nest-sites  without  difficulty  and  the 
resulting  outcry  indicates  that  their  young  do  not  go  to  bed 
supperless. 

Menhaden  form  a  large  proportion  of  the  fish  captured 
and  big  or  little  they  are  carried  not  in  the  pouch,  but  too 
far  down  the  throat  to  be  visible  even  as  a  protuberance. 


108  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Most  of  the  birds  fish  at  sea  and  even  if  they  took  valuable 
food  fish,  lovers  of  birds  as  well  as  lovers  of  fish  are  to  be 
considered.  Better  spare  a  mullet  or  two  than  rob  the  air 
of  one  of  its  distinguished  citizens.  When  the  day  comes  in 
which  everything  interfering  with  our  acquisition  of  dollars 
and  cents  must  be  destroyed,  the  world  will  indeed  be  a  fit 
abode  for  those  who  have  despoiled  it. 

After  feeding  its  young,  the  adult,  if  it  is  not  too  late, 
often  goes  a  short  distance  off  shore  to  bathe,  with  much 
loud  slapping  of  wings  and  dashing  of  spray.  The  bath 
finished  it  comes  to  the  beach  to  preen  its  feathers.  A  very 
large  part  of  the  time  of  both  adult  and  young  is  given  to 
the  care  of  their  plumage.  The  foot  evidently  can  reach  only 
the  side  of  the  neck  and  the  loud  rasping  scratching  of  this 
part  of  the  body  is  one  of  the  characteristic  sounds  of  island 
life. 

After  the  feathers  are  dressed  the  birds  generally  go  for 
a  promenade  in  the  sky  when  they  rise  to  a  thousand  feet  or 
more  above  their  home,  and,  on  set  wings,  sail  in  wide 
circles  apparently  for  pure  enjoyment  of  the  exercise.  At 
such  times  they  are  often  joined  by  the  young  which  are  on 
the  wing. 

When  several  thousand  birds  of  one  species  not  only 
select  the  same  bit  of  ground  for  a  residence  but  build  their 
homes  side  by  side,  one  might  infer  that  they  possessed 
marked  sociability  of  character ;  but  I  have  looked  in  vain 
for  any  evidence  of  friendly  or  communal  relations  between 
the  thickly  grouped  Pelican  households.  The  virtual  voice- 
lessness  of  adult  Pelicans  implies  in  itself  a  limited  means 
of  communication.  The  birds  steal  one  another's  nesting- 
material  with  an  air  which  plainly  bespeaks  a  knowledge  of 
their  guilt  and  that  they  expect  punishment  from  the  birds 
they  have  robbed.  This  may  lead  to  a  bloodless  fight  in 
which  the  contestants  snap  their  mandibles  with  pistol-like 
report  or  grasp  each  other  by  the  bill  to  struggle  for  a  few 
seconds.  Beyond  these  occasional  little  difficulties  I  have 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


109 


seen  no  evidence  of  either  friendly  or  hostile  relations  be- 
tween the  adult  birds.  They  live  side  by  side,  they  go 
fishing  together,  they  return  together,  and  this  association 
apparently  satisfies  an  evident  desire  for  companionship. 
While  the  formation  of  such  island  colonies  may  original- 


"  Thrust  her  bill  deep  into  the  nest " 

ly  have  been  due  to  the  gradual  elimination  of  the 
individuals  of  a  species  which  did  not  nest  in  so  favorable  a 
locality  (see  "Bird  Studies  with  a  Camera"  p.  195  where 
this  idea  is  advanced)  I  now  believe  that  among  island  nest- 
ing birds  there  is  definite  and  intentional  selection  of  island 
sites.  When  the  Pelicans  have  been  driven  from  Pelican 
Island  they  have  sought  refuge  on  another  island.  White 
Pelicans,  as  is  remarked  in  a  succeeding  chapter,  also  give 
evidence  of  this  actual  selection  of  an  island  home.  Doubt- 


110  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

less  gregariousness  as  well  as  the  heredity  of  habit  plays  a 
part  here. 

Beyond  supplying  them  with  food  and  shelter  essential 
to  their  existence,  Pelicans  seem  to  take  little  interest  in 
their  off-spring.  They  often  step  on  their  young  in  a 
clumsy  fashion  which  must  sometimes  be  fatal  to  very  little 
birds.  The  adults  whose  voung  were  devoured  by  larger 


"  Devoured  by  a  scavenging  Black  Vulture  " 

young  birds  showed  no  resentment.  In  one  instance  the 
naked  young  of  a  bird  whose  nest  was  unfortunately  within 
a  few  feet  of  my  blind,  died  through  exposure  to  the  sun  be- 
fore I  was  aware  of  their  suffering.  Finally  when,  after 
an  hour  or  so  the  parent  became  sufficiently  accustomed  to 
the  blind  to  return  to  her  nest,  she  (I  assumed  it  was  the 
mother)  showed  an  evident  though  unintelligent  concern  at 
her  loss.  For  two  hours  she  stood  near  the  nest  containing 
the  bodies  of  the  poor  little  Pelicans  returning  to  it  at  inter- 
vals to  thrust  her  bill  deep  into  the  nest,  and  toss  the 
material  about,  presumably  searching  for  her  chicks  which, 
disguised  in  death,  she  seemed  not  to  recognize.  Happen- 


1! 


II 


112  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

ing  to  touch  one  of  them  with  her  bill  it  was  flung  from  the 
nest  as  an  object  of  no  interest  and  later  was  devoured  by 
a  scavenging  Black  Vulture  with  whose  meal  the  surround- 
ing Pelicans  showed  no  concern. 

On  another  occasion  an  adult  went  beyond  the  bounds  of 
mere  routine  to  prevent  her  offspring  from  being  imposed 
upon  by  a  slightly  larger  bird.  A  fish  the  youngster  had 
secured  from  the  parent's  throat  became  lodged  crosswise 
in  its  pouch  and  would  not  go  down.  While  attempting  to 
disgorge  and  re-swallow  its  booty  a  larger  bird  standing 
near  became  interested  and  offered  to  assist  by  relieving  the 
smaller  Pelican  of  the  fish  altogether.  It  was  on  the  verge 
of  success,  though  evidently  against  the  will  of  the  smaller 
bird,  when  the  latter 's  parent,  who  had  probably  been 
watching  the  performance,  appeared  upon  the  scene  and 
drove  the  intruder  off.  Few  incidents  of  this  kind  were 
noted  and  observation  emphasizes  the  limited  range  of  the 
Pelican's  intelligence.  But  as  one  considers  the  conditions 
under  which  the  birds  live,  there  appear  to  be  no  factors  to 
stimulate  mental  development.  Their  food  supply  never 
fails  and  is  secured  without  competition ;  after  the  first  few 
weeks  of  their  lives  their  climatic  surroundings  are  favor- 
able; in  disposition  they  are  non-combative;  while  the 
nature  of  their  nesting-resorts  protects  them  from  pre- 
datory animals.  In  short,  life  with  Pelicans  is  not 
sufficiently  severe  to  tend  to  character  making. 

Man  alone  appears  to  threaten  their  continued  existence 
and  from  him,  fortunately,  those  of  their  kin  who  live  on 
Pelican  Island  are  now  happily  protected.  While  they  can- 
not repay  their  defenders  with  the  music  of  Thrushes  or  a 
display  of  those  traits  which  so  endear  the  higher  animals 
to  us,  they  may  at  least  claim  success  in  filling  their  place  in 
nature,  while  the  charm  of  every  water-way  is  increased  by 
the  quaint  dignity  of  their  presence. 


THE  FLOKIDA  GREAT  BLUE  HERON 
AND  THE  WATER  TURKEY 

In  1858,  when  Bryant  located  Pelican  Island  as  ' '  twenty 
miles  north  of  Fort  Capron,"  he  took  for  his  base  the 
nearest  settlement  which  then  appeared  on  the  maps  of  that 
little  known  region.  But  one  will  search  the  latest  Florida 
maps  in  vain  for  a  locality  with  this  name,  so  honored  in  our 
military  service. 

The  Fort  Capron  of  the  Indian  wars  is,  however,  the  St. 
Lucie  of  to-day ;  the  site  of  the  old  fort  is  still  visible,  and  at 
this  point  one  may  start  on  the  Capron  Trail,  which  now,  as 
then,  crosses  the  Kissimmee  at  Fort  Bassenger,  on  a  ferry 
"flat." 

On  the  morning  of  March  21, 1905,  with  Aden  Summer- 
lin,  as  guide,  Mrs.  Chapman  and  I  started  westward,  on  the 
Capron  Trail,  for  a  certain  rookery  of  Water  Turkeys 
(Anhinga)  and  Florida  Great  Blue  Herons  (Ardea 
herodias  wardi)  distant  some  seventeen  miles.  We  camped 
that  night  in  a  dense  palm  hammock  near  an  arm  of  Seven 
Mile  Slough,  where  the  Barred  Owls  discussed  our  appear- 
ance, in  several  languages.  Hundreds  of  Louisiana  Herons 
were  beginning  to  nest  in  the  button-wood  grown  ponds  and 
we  remained  here  two  days  to  study  them. 

March  23,  we  crossed  the  Slough  over  the  mile  and  a  half 
ford,  through  the  saw-grass — where  I  lightened  the  load  by 
putting  our  canoe  overboard  and  getting  a  tow  all  the 
way  over — and  reached  our  destination  early  in  the  after- 
noon. 

Our  camp  was  in  the  pines  near  the  border  of  a  great 
cypress  swamp,  in  which  were  the  ponds  where  the  birds  we 
desired  were  supposed  to  be  nesting.  White  Egrets  were 
said  to  have  * '  rooked  ' '  here  in  large  numbers  but  they  had 


114 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


been  "shot  out"    by    my    guide's    father — now    a    game 
warden ! 

It  was  not  until  the  next  day  that  we  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  forest-enclosed  sloughs  and  found  a  place  where, 
after  some  cutting  of  the  dense  undergrowth,  our  canoe 
could  be  launched.  Doubtless  it  was  the  first  boat  to  be 


A  Camp  in  the  Palms 

used  here.  At  the  same  time,  I  discovered  one  of  those 
evidences  of  the  conflict  between  soldier  and  Indian,  which 
are  so  potent  in  effacing  the  present  and  bridging  the  lapse 
of  years.  Summerlin,  who  knew  its  history,  identified  it  as 
the  camp-site  of  a  body  of  cavalry.  They  had  thrown  up 
earthworks,  but  the  long  trench  was  now  a  rounded  hollow 
and  the  embankment  had  weathered  away.  Their  horses  had 
evidently  been  tethered  to  a  great  pine  at  the  head  of  the 
trench,  the  grass,  for  a  radius  of  six  or  eight  feet  around  the 
tree,  being  sparse  and  stunted.  I  never  passed  the  place 
without  forming  a  clear  mental  image  of  horses  and 
troopers. 

The  ponds  were  so    thickly    covered    with    glistening 


GREAT  BLUE  HERON  AND  WATER  TURKEY    115 

' '  bonnets, ' '  as  yellow  pond-lilies  are  invariably  called  in 
Florida,  that  the  water  was  not  visible,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  mow  a  path,  with  a  machete,  to  the  islets  on  which  the 
Water  Turkeys  and  Herons  proved  to  be  nesting.  These 
islets,  although  only  a  few  yards  square,  usually  held  at 
least  one  cabbage  palm,  with  an  ash  or  willow  and  low 
bushes ;  their  presence  added  largely  to  the  beauty  of  a 


The  Home  of  Heron  and  Water  Turkey 

Note  the  blind  under  the  palmetto  at  the  left;  also  the  canoe  floating 
among  the  "  bonnets  " 

scene  which,  with  its  "moss"  draped  cypresses,  and  luxuri- 
ant growth  of  bonnets  and  palms,  must  have  made  a  fine 
setting  for  the  Egrets,  Spoonbills  and  Paroquets  that  were 
doubtless  abundant  here  when  the  troopers  camped  in  the 
neighboring  pines. 

The  place  itself,  however,  had  lost  none  of  its  singular 
picturesqueness  and  animal  life  was  still  abundant  enough 


116  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

to  make  one  forget  the  past  in  the  attractions  of  the  present. 
My  blind  was  quickly  erected  on  the  islet,  from  which  I  could 
observe  the  Water  Turkeys  on  a  neighboring  islet,  and  soon 
the  nearly  grown  Ward 's  Herons,  in  a  nest  just  above  my 
head,  were  chanting  their  croaking  food-call;  the  Water 
Turkeys,  with  rattling,  rasping  notes,  came  back  to  their 
nests ;  Barred  Owls  called  from  the  gloom  of  the  cypresses 
and  out  in  the  pines  ISandhill  Cranes  were  trumpeting, 
.b'rom  the  forest  of  bonnet  leaves  and  roots,  bull-frogs 
grunted  and  alligators  whined ;  a  sucker  and  a  great  soft- 
shelled  turtle  came  to  the  surface  to  investigate  a  bit  of 
orange-peel  which  had  fallen  into  the  water  at  my  feet,  and 
everywhere,  in  the  bonnets,  on  the  islets  and  in  the  bushes, 
there  were  moccasins.  One  crawled  out  to  sun  himself  on  the 
islet  which  was  barely  large  enough  for  me,  and  I  discov- 
ered him  coiled  at  exactly  (measured  later!)  three  feet  and 
six  inches  from  my  back.  Doubtless  he  would  have  agreed 
to  remain  on  his  side  if  I  had  consented  to  stay  on  mine,  but 
it  seemed  to  me  that  an  island  six  feet  in  diameter  was  not 
large  enough  for  us  both,  and  he,  poor  fellow,  being  the 
smaller  and  having  no  gun,  was  forced  to  leave — in  two 
pieces. 

About  one  hundred  pairs  of  Water  Turkeys  were  breed- 
ing on  the  islets  in  this  secluded  place ;  their  remarkably 
well-made  nests  being  in  the  bushes  and  trees  from  three  or 
four,  to  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  the  water ;  in  some 
instances  a  single  islet  held  as  many  as  seven. 

The  nests  contained  eggs  in  various  stages  of  incubation, 
and  young  up  to  the  downy  stage.  The  young  of  the  same 
nest,  as  I  have  observed  on  previous  occasions,  were  of  dif- 
ferent ages  and  varied  greatly  in  size,  one  nest  holding 
young  several  days  old  and  fresh  eggs. 

The  young  raise  their  long,  slender,  tremulous  necks 
above  the  nest  and  utter  incessantly  a  twittering  peep; 
while  the  expanded  hyoids  so  increase  its  size  that  the  head 
appears  to  be  placed  on  the  neck  upside  down.  They  secure 


Water  Turkey  and  Nest 


118  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

their  food  as  do  young  Pelicans,  Cormorants,  and  all  other 
members  of  the  order  Steganopodes  with  whose  habits  I  am 
familiar,  by  thrusting  the  head  down  the  parent's  throat. 
The  stomach  of  one  young  bird  contained  three  fish,  the 
longest  measuring  six  inches;  in  another  a  catfish  was  dis- 
covered. With  a  family  which  may  vary  in  size  from  the 
newly  hatched  chick  to  one  a  foot  or  more  in  length,  the 
problem  of  securing  fish  the  proper  size  for  the  young  is 
evidently  more  complicated  with  Water  Turkeys  than  it  is 
with  Pelicans.  The  parent  seems  to  bring  a  large  supply  of 
food ;  a  female,  on  one  occasion,  remained  at  the  nest  about 
an  hour  and  fed  her  young  repeatedly. 

Although  they  soar  with  exceptional  ease,  Water  Tur- 
keys alight  very  clumsily,  virtually  tumbling  on  to  their 
perches  with  much  flapping  of  wings  and  loss  of  balance 
before  coming  to  rest.  When  not  alarmed,  they  seem  to 
take  flight  with  much  hesitation,  opening  and  closing  their 
wings,  in  preparation,  several  times  before  they  venture  to 
trust  themselves  to  their  support.  When  alighting  near  the 
nest,  they  always  utter  their  harsh,  grating  calls  which,  if 
another  bird  chances  to  be  near,  is  replied  to  with  threaten- 
ing motions  of  the  sharply  pointed  bill.  But  although 
quarrelsome,  they  never  get  beyond  this  exchange  of  com- 
pliments. 

Fish  Crows,  one  of  the  greatest  enemies  of  rookery 
nesting  birds  were,  as  usual,  present,  and  looking  every 
inch  the  thief  as  they  hunted  from  tree  to  tree  in  search  of 
unprotected  eggs.  At  the  same  time,  they  cawed  loudly ; 
though  why  they  should  thus  advertise  their  presence,  un- 
less it  be  to  protest  their  innocence,  it  is  difficult  to  see.  One 
slipped  up  to  a  near-by  Water  Turkey's  nest,  from  which 
the  owners  were  absent,  quickly  took  a  blue  egg  in  his  bill 
and,  with  rapid  wing  strokes,  flew  to  a  cypress  to  devour  it 
at  his  ease ;  then  his  appetite  whetted  and  courage  aroused, 
he  came  back  to  the  nest  and,  standing  on  its  edge,  ate  all 
the  eggs  remaining.  The  Water  Turkeys  sometimes  pro- 


GREAT  BLUE  HERON  AND  WATER  TURKEY    119 

tested  slightly,  but  made  no  attempt  to  defend  their  homes 
from  the  black-coated  robbers. 

There  were  about  fifteen  Florida  Great  Blue  Herons ' 
nests  scattered  about  the  slough,  all  containing  newly 
fledged  young.  Most  of  them  were  within  ten  feet  of  the 
water  and  offered  an  exceptional  opportunity  to  study,  and 
possibly  even  photograph,  the  before  unpictured  homelife 
of  this  splendid  bird. 

The  blind  was  therefore  moved  to  an  islet  some  fifty 
feet  long  and  a  fourth  as  wide,  from  one  end  of  which  an 
unobstructed  view  could  be  had  of  a  Heron's  nest,  contain- 
ing three  large  young  and  distant  about  forty  feet.  A  dense 
growth  of  young  palms  afforded  partial  concealment  for 
the  blind,  which  was  rendered  virtually  invisible  by  a  cover- 
ing of  dead  palm  leaves.  The  blind  was  arranged  at  the 
conclusion  of  a  day  with  the  Water  Turkeys.  It  could  be 
entered  from  the  rear  of  the  island  without  one's  being  seen 
from  the  nest,  and  the  conditions  seemed  ideal  for  out- 
witting one  of  the  most  wary  of  Florida  birds. 

The  young  Herons  were  almost  as  easily  alarmed  as 
their  parents,  and,  at  the  first  sign  of  danger,  squatted  flat 
in  the  nest  with  close-pressed  bills.  The  next  morning, 
when  I  reached  the  blind  without  the  young  birds  being 
the  wiser,  success  in  photographing  the  parents  seemed  only 
a  matter  of  time.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  alert 
attitude  of  the  young  indicated -beyond  question  the  proxi- 
mity of  one  of  the  parents  and,  following  the  direction  of 
their  eager,  expectant  look,'  I  discovered  the  splendid 
creature  perched  on  the  higher  growth  to  the  -left,  clean-cut 
and  statuesque  against  the  sky.  She  stood  there  calmly, 
showing  no  trace  of  the  intense  excitement  which  now 
possessed  her  offspring ;  and.  quietly  surveyed  her  sur- 
roundings. Assured  that  all  was  well,  with  erect  plumes  and 
partly  expanded  wings,  she  slowly  walked  downward 
toward  the  nest,  with  a  dignity  of  motion  and  majesty  of 
pose  I  have  never  seen  excelled  by  any  other  bird. 


Great  Blue  Heron  Approaching  Nest 
"  With  dignity  of  motion  and  majesty  of  pose ' 


GREAT  BLUE  HERON  AND  WATER  TURKEY    121 


Great  Blue  Heron  Feeding  Young 
"Its  bill  was  seized  by  one  of  the  young" 

The  young  now  were  frantic  with  excitement  and,  in 
chorus,  uttered  their  cuk-cuk,  cuk-cuk  feeding  call.  As  the 
parent  stepped  slowly  into  the  nest,  its  bill  was  seized  by 
one  of  the  young.  The  young  bird  did  not  thrust  its  bill 
down  the  parental  throat  nor  was  the  parent's  bill  intro- 
duced into  that  of  the  young.  The  hold  of  the  young  bird 
was  such  as  one  would  take  with  a  pair  of  shears,  if  one 
were  to  attempt  to  cut  off  the  adult 's  bill  at  the  base.  In 
this  manner  the  old  bird's  head  was  drawn  down  into  the 
nest  where  more  or  less  digested  fish  was  disgorged,  of 
which  all  the  young  at  once  partook.  On  one  occasion,  the 
adult  disgorged  a  fish  at  least  a  foot  in  length  and  on  dis- 
covering that  it  was  too  large  for  the  young,  the  parent 
re-swallowed  the  fish  and  returned  to  a  perch  near  the  nest, 
while  awaiting  for  the  processes  of  digestion  to  continue  the 
preparation  of  the  meal. 


122 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


It  was  with  no  small  elation  that  I  obtained  this  intimate 
view  of  a  Heron  family  and  observed  this — so  far  as  I  am 
aware — before  unknown  method  of  administering  to  the 
wants  of  its  young.  The  prospect  for  making  still  further 
additions  to  the  life-history  of  the  species,  seemed  admir- 
able; but,  the  morning's  work  finished,  I  reached  the  border 
of  the  forest  just  in  time  to  see  my  tent  in  the  pines  ahead 
burst  into  sudden  flame,  destroying  everything  in  it  but  my 
photographic  plates  which,  being  at  one  end,  were  rescued 
by  Mrs.  Chapman.  Paraffine  used  in  water-proofing  canvas 
and  a  spark  from  the  camp  fire  had  proved  a  disastrous 
combination,  and  work  on  the  Herons  was  of  necessity 
abandoned. 


Water  Turkey 
They  often  assume  this  attitude  while  drying  their  plumage 


THE  AMERICAN  EGEET 

Twenty  years  have  passed  since  I  saw  in  Florida  my 
first  Egret,  but  I  retain  a  clear-cut  mental  picture  of  the 
scene  in  which  the  bird 's  snowy  plumage  shone  with  sur- 
prising whiteness  against  a  darkly  wooded  background.  It 
seemed  an  ethereal  creature,  too  pure  for  earthly  existence, 
a  veritable  Bird  of  Paradise.  Nor  has  subsequent  familiar- 
ity in  any  way  decreased  this  impression  of  a  certain  angel- 
ic quality,  due  no  doubt  to  the  dazzling  purity  of  the  bird 's 
plumage  as  well  as  to  the  charm  of  its  haunts. 

It  was  the  large  Egret,  (Herodias  egretta)  I  saw.  The 
Snowy  Egret  (Egretta  candidissima)  is  a  daintier,  more 
exquisite  bird,  but,  in  nature,  cannot  always  be  satisfactor- 
ily distinguished  from  the  young  of  the  abundant  Little 
Blue  Heron,  while  its  much  smaller  size  makes  it  a  far  less 
impressive  figure  in  the  landscape  than  its  stately  rela- 
tive. Futhermore,  the  Snowy  Egret  is  a  less  shy  bird  and 
its  recurved  plumes  are  more  highly  prized  than  the 
long,  straight ' '  aigrettes  ' '  of  the  larger  species  and  even 
twenty  years  ago,  it  was  a  comparatively  rare  bird"  in 
Florida. 

My  experiences,  therefore,  have  been  with  the  larger 
Egret,  which  I  have  long  sought  to  find  nesting  under  con- 
ditions suitable  for  reproduction  in  a  Habitat  Group.  A  few 
nests  were  discovered  here  and  there,  but  always,  when  a 
rookery  of  promising  size  was  reported,  the  plume-hunters 
arrived  first  and  word  came  that  the  * l  long  Whites  have  all 
been  shot  out. ' ' 

Thus,  year  by  year,  the  Egrets  have  decreased  in  num- 
ber, and  with  them  has  gone  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
figures  of  the  Florida  wilds.  The  state,  learning  the  value 
of  the  treasure  of  which  she  has  been  robbed,  has  passed 


124  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

stringent  laws  prohibiting  the  killing  of  Egrets.  So,  too, 
she  has  passed  laws  against  pick-pockets,  but  just  so  long 
as  there  are  pockets  worth  picking  there  will  be  someone  to 
pick  them,  and  just  as  long  as  Egrets '  plumes  are  worth 
their  weight  in  gold  there  will  be  some  one  to  supply  them, 
until,  a  passing  fancy  gratified,  the  last  plume  has  found  its 
way  from  the  bonnet  to  the  ash-barrel. 

"Without  one  promising  lead  to  follow,  I  had  virtually 
abandoned  the  Egret  hunt,  when,  from  another  state  than 
Florida,  word  came  of  an  Egret  rookery  creditable  to  the 
days  of  Audubon.  It  appears  that,  when  a  vast  territory 
was  acquired  as  a  game  preserve,  by  a  club  of  sportsmen, 
it  contained  a  few  Egrets,  survivors  of  a  once  flourishing 
colony.  After  seven  years  of  rigid  protection,  they  and 
their  progeny  form  so  conspicuous  an  element  of  local  bird- 
life  that,  on  the  evening  of  May  7,  1907,  as  I  reached  the 
region  in  which  they  lived,  I  saw  them  in  dozens  flying 
toward  the  still  distant  rookery. 

The  return,  at  nightfall,  of  birds  to  their  nests,  or  to  a 
fixed  roosting-place,  is  possessed  for  us  of  that  interest 
which  is  attached  to  all  the  intelligible  actions  of  animals. 
The  knowledge  that  the  creature  has  a  definite  plan  or  pur- 
pose seems  to  emphasize  our  kinship  with  it.  So  we  mark 
the  homeward  flight  of  Heron  or  of  Crow  and,  knowing 
whither  they  are  bound,  travel  with  them  in  fancy  to  the 
journey's  end.  This  has  been  a  fatal  habit  for  the  Herons. 
It  mattered  little  how  secluded  was  the  rookery ;  the  hunter 
found  it  simply  by  following  their  line  of  flight. 

My  way  to  the  home  of  the  white-plumed  birds  was  less 
direct  than  their  air-line.  For  hours  ,  a  little  home-made 
tug,  with  a  swelling  wave  at  her  bow,  took  me  through  a 
succession  of  bays,  canals,  cut-offs  and  serpentine  creeks, 
frightening  the  Gallinules  and  Blackbirds  in  the  reeds,  and 
surprising  an  occasional  alligator  on  his  favorite  mud  bank. 

A  night's  rest,  and  in  the  morning  the  journey  was 
resumed  through  park-like  pine  forests  and  under  the  moss- 


«  U 


126 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


hung  live-oaks  with  every 
tree  and  plant  by  leaf  and 
blossom,  and  every  bird  by 
plumage  and  voice,  proclaim- 
ing the  sweetness,  beauty 
and  joy  of  May.  Ten  miles  of 
spring's  pageant  brought  me 
to  the  moat  of  the  Egrets' 
stronghold.  Here  I  entered 
a  boat,  to  pass  through  an 
apparently  endless,  flooded 
forest,  known  as  the  Lake  of 
the  Great  Eeserve. 

There  are  delights  of  the 
water  and  delights  of  the 
wood,  but  when  both  are 
combined  and  one's  canoe- 
path  leads  through  a  forest, 
and  that  of  cypress,  clad  in 
new,  lace-like  foliage  and 
draped  with  swaying  moss, 
one's  exaltation  of  spirit 
passes  all  measurable 
bounds.  No  snapping  of 
twigs  or  rustling  of  leaves 
betrays  one.  We  paddled  so 
easily,  so  noiselessly,  that  we  seemed  as  much  inhabitants 
of  the  place  as  the  great  alligators  that  sank  at  our 
approach. 

The  Fish  Hawks  whistled  plaintively,  but  settled  on 
their  nests  as  we  passed  below  them ;  the  Wood  Ducks  led 
their  broods  to  the  deeper  woods ;  Pileated  and  Bed-bellied 
Woodpeckers,  Crested  Flycatchers,  Tufted  Tits  and  glow- 
ing Prothonotary  Warblers,  at  home  in  holes  in  the  cypress ; 
Parula  Warblers  weaving  their  cradles  in  the  Spanish 
moss — all  accepted  us  as  part  of  the  fauna,  and  it  was  not 


Louisiana  Heron  and  Nest 


THE  AMERICAN  EGRET 


127 


Cypresses  in  Which  the    Egrets  Were  Nesting 
The  blind  may  be  seen  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  picture 

until  we  reached  the  first  dwellings  of  the  rookery  that  our 
presence  caused  alarm. 

Here,  at  the  tops  of  the  tallest  cypresses,  from  seventy 
to  one  hundred  feet  from  the  water,  the  Great  Blue  Herons 
had  built  their  broad  platforms.  With  protesting  squawks, 
they  stretched  their  legs,  folded  their  necks  and  took  to  the 
air,  leaving  their  nearly  fledged  young  to  peer  over  the  edge 
of  the  nest  at  the  disturbing  object  below.  With  no  less 


128 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


concern,  I  looked  at  the  disturbing  object  above.  If  the 
Egrets  had  chosen  similar  nesting  sites  they  could  be 
photographed  only  from  a  balloon ! 


"  With  curved  neck  and   streamii;^  plumes  " 

Beyond  the  Great  Blue  Herons,  was  a  settlement  of  the 
singularly  marked  Yellow-crowned  Night  Herons.  Their 
nests  were  within  fifteen  feet  of  the  water,  but  they  slipped 
away  so  quietly  that  only  close  watching  showed  them  dis- 
appearing through  the  trees  beyond.  For  two  miles  we 
paddled  thus  in  a  bewildering  maze  of  sunlit,  buttressed 
cypress  trunks  with  shiny,  round-headed  "knees"  protrud- 
ing from  the  water,  and  with  every  branch  heavily  moss- 
draped.  The  dark  waters  showed  no  track,  the  brown 
trunks  no  blaze ;  we  seemed  to  be  voyaging  into  the  un- 
known. 


THE  AMERICAN  EGRET 


129 


Finally,  the  environs  were  passed  and  we  now 
approached  the  most  densely  populated  part  of  the  rookery. 
Thousands  of  Louisiana  and  Little  Blue  Herons  left  their 
nests  in  the  lower  branches  and  bushes,  their  croaking 
chorus  of  alarm  punctuated  by  the  louder,  more  raucous 


A  Sudden  Turn 

squawks  of  hundreds  of  Egrets,  as  they  flew  from  their 
nests  in  the  upper  branches.  It  was  a  confusing  and  fasci- 
nating scene,  an  admirable  climax  to  the  passage  through 
the  weird  forest. 

For  a  time,  I  was  content  to  sit  quietly  in  the  boat  and 
revel  in  the  charm  and  beauty  of  the  place,  my  enjoyment 
unmarred  by  the  thought  that  at  any  moment  Satan,  in  the 
guise  of  a  plume-hunter,  might  enter  this  Eden. 

The  Little  Blue  and  Louisiana  Herons  nested  at  an 
average  height  of  from  six  to  eight  feet.  One  bush  held  no 
less  than  thirty-two  nests,  all  of  which  contained  eggs,  few 
young  of  either  species  having  yet  been  hatched.  The 


ISO 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


"Ventured  to  alight  in  the  home  tree" 

Egrets  nested  at  an  average  height  of  forty  feet.  Eggs 
were  in  some  nests,  while  in  others  there  were  nearly  fledg- 
ed young.  While  far  less  shy  than  I  had  before  found  them, 
the  birds  were  still  abundantly  wary,  and  obviously  could 
be  observed  to  advantage  only  from  concealment.  After 


132 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


Egret  Feeding  Young 

some  search,  a  group  of  nests  was  discovered,  which  it  was 
believed  could  be  studied  and  photographed  from  a  neigh- 
boring tree,  distant  some  thirty  feet.  The  umbrella  blind 
was  therefore  placed  in  the  tree,  at  a  height  of  forty-five 
feet,  and  liberally  draped  with  Spanish  moss.  It  was 
arranged  to  fall  over  a  limb  which,  for  several  hours  dur- 
ing each  of  the  three  succeeding  days,  served  as  a  perch 
from  which  my  notes  and  photographs  were  made.  I  have 
had  more  comfortable  seats,  but  few  that  were  so  enjoyable. 
From  the  concealment  of  the  same  blind,  it  had  been  my 
fortune  to  watch  Flamingos,  Pelicans  and  many  other 
ground-nesting  birds  at  close  range ;  but  never  before  had  I 
attempted  to  enter  a  bird  colony  in  the  tree  tops,  and  the 
experience  was  as  exhilarating  as  it  was  novel. 

The  Little  Blue  and  Louisiana  Herons  soon  returned  to 
their  nests  below,  the  former,  noisy  and  quarrelsome,  call- 
ing at  each  other  notes  which  sounded  strangely  like  tell  you 
ivhdt,  tell  you  what;  the  latter  were  less  demonstrative  and 


THE  AMERICAN  EGRET  133 

more  quiet.  The  Egrets  did  not  accept  the  situation  so 
readily.  Seven  pairs  were  nesting  in  the  trees  near  me. 
Some  had  eggs,  others  young  birds  in  various  stages  of 
development.  Flying  to  and  fro,  with  curved  neck  and 
streaming  plumes,  the  parents  inspected  the  blind  for  some 
time  before  thev  ventured  to  alight  in  the  home  tree.  Then 


An  Egret  Family  After  Feeding 

they  came  cautiously  to  the  more  distant  branches,  there  to 
remain  indefinitely,  while  uttering  a  protesting  rapid  cuk- 
cuk-cuk,  with  the  regularity  and  persistence  of  a  metro- 
nome. Their  strong  desire  to  return  to  their  nest  was 
expressed  in  an  alertness  which  led  them  to  make  frequent 
changes  of  attitude.  In  a  large  series  of  pictures  of  wait- 
ing birds,  no  two  have  the  wonderfully  expressive  neck  in 
the  same  position.  It  is  remarkable  how  the  pose  of  this 
member  affects  a  Heron's  appearance. 

Doubtless,  the  young  birds  were  not  a  little  puzzled  by 
the  unusual  reluctance  of  their  parents  to  administer  to 


134  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

their  wants.  In  vain  they  uttered  their  frog-like  kek-kek- 
Jcek,  and  stretched  their  necks  hopefully.  The  old  birds 
were  not  assured.  So  the  young  resorted  to  their  custo- 
mary occupations  of  leg-  or  wing-  stretching,  or  yawning, 
or  preening  a  brother's  or  sister's  feathers,  picking  at 
imaginary  objects  here  and  there ;  all  good  exercises  for 
growing  birds.  The  larger  ones  made  little  journeys  to  the 
limbs  near  the  nests,  the  necks  taking  a  different  curve  with 
every  movement,  and  expressing  every  emotion  from 
extreme  dejection  to  alert  and  eager  expectancy.  Finally,  as 
the  old  birds  were  convinced  that  the  blind  was  harmless, 
their  reward  came.  With  harsh,  rattling  notes  and  raised 
crest,  one  of  the  parents  alit  near  the  nest.  Its  superbly 
threatening  attitude  was  clearly  not  alarming  to  the  young 
birds,  who  welcomed  it  by  voice  and  upstretched,  extended 
neck.  Gravely  the  parent  stood  regarding  its  young,  while 
its  crest  dropped  and  its  pose  relaxed.  Then,  as  it  stepped 
to  the  edge  of  the  nest,  it  lowered  its  head,  when  its  bill  was 
immediately  seized  by  one  of  the  youngsters.  The  feeding 
scene  which  followed  was  exactly  like  that  described  in  the 
chapter  on  the  Florida  Great  Blue  Heron. 

This  Heron  rookery  may  be  described  as  a  by-product  of 
a  reservation  maintained  primarily  for  hunting  purposes. 
The  immediate  response  of  the  surviving  birds  to  the  pro- 
tection given  them  when  their  almost  depleted  rookery  pass- 
ed into  the  possession  of  the  sportsman's  association,  now 
owning  it,  is  encouraging  evidence  of  what  may  be  done  in 
other  localities,  if  the  laws  are  enforced.  Such  work,  how- 
ever, should  not  be  undertaken  without  the  assurance  that  it 
will  be  continuous  and  adequate.  The  co-operation  of  the 
National  Association  of  Audubon  Societies,  should  be  se- 
cured. In  its  hands  a  small  endowment  may  be  made  to 
accomplish  wonders  in  bird  preservation. 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY 

Cuthbert  Rookery  is  probably  the  last  rookery  in  Flori- 
da at  all  comparable  with  those  great  gatherings  of  nesting 
birds  formerly  common  throughout  the  state.  Rookeries 
of  Ibises,  or  Cormorants,  of  Little  Blue  and  Louisiana 
Herons  and  other  nonplume-bearing  birds  may  still  be 
found  by  those  who  know  where  to  look  for  them.  But  at 
Cuthbert  alone,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  will  one  find  all  the 
birds  mentioned,  together  with  Spoonbills,  American  and 
Snowy  Egrets.  This  rookery  is  situated  in  what  the  maps 
term  the  "Great  Mangrove  Swamp"  which  borders  the 
Everglades  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Florida,  and  is 
about  seven  miles  from  the  coast,  at  a  point  known  as  Snake 
Bight,  some  twelve  miles  east  of  the  settlement  of  Flamin- 
go. The  proposed  extension  of  the  Florida  East  Coast 
railroad  to  Cape  Sable  would  have  passed  within  a  mile  or 
two  of  it. 

Cuthbert  Rookery  was  discovered  some  twenty  years 
da.  It  has  been  ' ' shot  out"  repeatedly,  but  its  isolation  and 
comparative  inaccessibility,  together  with  the  absence  of 
fresh  water,  make  it  worthy  the  plumer's  attention  only 
when  the  progeny  of  the  birds  which  have  escaped  the  last 
raid,  have  become  sufficiently  numerous.  Cuthbert 's  isola- 
tion also  makes  it  a  refuge  for  birds  which  have  been 
" broke  up"  in  less  remote  places,  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  the  last  Snowy  Egret  and  Roseate  Spoonbill  of  Florida 
will  be  shot  at  this  point. 

Cuthbert  Rookery  was  discovered  some  twenty  years 
ago  by  the  man  for  whom  it  was  named.  He  is  reported  to 
have  killed  $1,800  worth  of  plume  birds  on  his  first  visit. 
The  first  ornithologists  to  reach  Cuthbert  Rookery  were  A. 
C,  Bent  and  H.  K,  Job,  who  visited  it  under  the  guidance  of 


136  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Warden  Guy  Bradley  in  May,  1903.  Mr.  Bent 's  notes  on 
the  birds  found  breeding  there  have  been  recorded  in  "The 
Auk"  (XXI,  1904,  pp.  20-29:259-270),  while  in  his  "  Wild 
Wings ' '  Mr.  Job  has  given  a  graphic  account  of  his  exper- 
ience. 

I  made  four  attempts  to  reach  Cuthbert  Rookery  before 
succeeding.  In  May,  1904,  while  en  route  to  it,  I  was  inter- 
cepted by  Warden  Bradley  in  the  Keys,  near  Tavenier 
Creek,  with  news  that  the  rookery  had  been  '  *  shot  out. ' ' 
Under  his  guardianship,  the  "white  birds"  had  increased 
to  numbers,  which,  with  aigrettes  selling  at  thirty-two  dol- 
lars an  ounce,  made  the  venture  worth  the  risk,  (for  there 
was  a  risk ;  as  the  man  who  attempted  to  ' i  shoot  out ' '  a 
rookery  while  Bradley  was  on  guard  would  probably  have 
lost  his  own  "plume") ;  the  warden  was  watched  and  in  his 
absence  his  charges  were  slaughtered.  The  man  who  was 
with  Bradley  when  he  returned  to  the  rookery  told  me  "you 
could  a-walked  right  around  the  ruke-ry  on  them  birds' 
bodies ;  between  four  and  five  hundred  of  'em. ' ' 

The  following  year,  while  working  toward  Cuthbert,  my 
outfit  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  operations,  necessarily, 
were  postponed.  That  summer,  Bradley  was  shot  while  on 
duty,  a  death  he  had  long  predicted,  and  no  further  effort 
was  made  to  visit  the  rookery  until  1907,  when  the  plan  was 
defeated  by  conditions  encountered  in  the  Bahamas.  In 
1908,  however,  the  trip  was  made  without  mishap,  and,  once 
started,  proved  to  be  a  by  no  means  difficult  undertaking. 
My  special  object  in  visiting  Cuthbert  was  to  make  studies 
on  which  to  base  a  group  of  Roseate  Spoonbills.  When  not 
disturbed,  these  birds  were  said  to  lay  in  February  and  if 
all  went  well  they  might  be  found  with  young  the  latter  part 
of  March,  before  a  possible  looting  of  the  rookery  by 
plumers. 

On  March  25,  therefore,  with  A.  C.  Bent,  whose  former 
experience  proved  of  much  value,  and  Louis  Fuertes,  I 
sailed  from  Miami,  at  noon,  on  the  "Pearl,"  a  40-foot  jig- 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY  137 

ger-rigged  sharpy  with  a  10  horse-power  engine,  in  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Burton.  At  sunset,  we  anchored  under 
Pumpkin  Key  and,  taking  the  "inside  route",  reached  Man- 
o  '-War  Key  the  following  evening.  On  the  morning  of  the 
27th,  we  landed  on  Man-o  '-War  Key,  finding  a  pair  of  young 
Bald  Eagles  about  to  leave  the  nest  and  a  pair  of  Turkey 


The  Crew  of  the  "  Pearl  " 

Vultures  about  to  leave  the  egg.  Later,  on  Clive  Key,  we 
discovered  "  Ardea  ivuerdemanni  "  breeding,  and  at  4  p. 
m.  dropped  anchor  off  Flamingo.  If  Capt.  Burton's  infor- 
mation was  reliable,  we  had  arrived  just  in  time  to  prevent 
Cuthbert  Rookery  from  being  "shot  out",  it  being  reported 
that  a  party  of  plumers  had  planned  to  start  for  the 
rookery  the  following  day.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  express 
to  these  gentlemen  in  person,  my  thanks  for  the  discreet 
consideration  which  prompted  them  to  postpone  their  visit. 
The  next  afternoon,  accompanied  by  Louis  Bradley, 


138  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

brother  of  the  late  Warden,  and  "Melch"  Roberts,  the 
journey  was  continued  toward  Snake  Bight,  the  " Pearl" 
being  run  to  the  eastward,  until  she  grounded  in  about  two 
and  a  half  feet  of  water.  Going  aground  is  so  normal  an 
accompaniment  of  a  cruise  in  the  Florida  Keys  that  it  gen- 
erally occasions  little  comment  and  the  skipper  waits  philo- 
sophically for  the  rising  tide  to  float  his  craft.  On  the 
present  occasion,  higher  water  at  midnight  enabled  the 
* '  Pearl ' '  to  get  about  a  mile  nearer  the  Bight. 

March  29,  when  the  great  glowing  sun  rose  over  the 
Keys  we  were  already  well  on  our  way,  in  small  boats, 
toward  the  Bight.  In  occasional  vague  channels,  the  water 
was  between  two  and  three  feet  deep,  but  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  way  it  measured  less  than  a  foot  and  at  times  it 
was  necessary  to  push  the  boat  over  the  mud  barely  covered 
with  water.  A  dense  growth  of  brown,  broad-bladed  turtle 
grass  gave  a  fairly  good  hold  for  the  oars  in  pushing,  and 
furnished  support  when  wading. 

The  air  was  clear,  the  heavens  wreathed  with  exquisite 
cloud  forms,  the  waters,  rippled  by  a  gentle  breeze, 
sparkled  in  the  long  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  scene  was 
possessed  of  a  great  charm  and  beauty.  Ospreys  and  Brown 
Pelicans,  each  fishing  after  the  manner  of  its  kind,  gave  life 
to  the  air ;  the  first,  taking  deliberate  aim,  with  quick  beat- 
ing wings  hovered  above  his  prey  before  striking ;  the  latter, 
making  snap-shots,  plunged  down  to  the  waters  without  so 
much  as  a  preparatory  flutter. 

We  were  now  in  the  very  heart  of  the  home  of  the  Great 
White  Heron  and  at  least  fifty  of  these  birds  were  in  sight 
at  a  single  moment ;  those  toward  the  sun,  so  dark,  they 
could  with  difficulty  be  distinguished  from  Ward 's  Heron ; 
those  to  the  west,  gleaming  like  snow. 

Often  the  boat  ran  on  redfish  or  drum,  which  darted 
away  with  a  swelling  wave  above  them,  or  passed  close  to 
the  two  keen  fins  of  a  great  saw-fish  or  the  single  fin  of  a 
shark.  Porpoises  were  hunting  in  water  scarce  deep  enough 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY 


139 


to  float  them  and  Fuertes  saw  two,  evidently  acting  in  con- 
cert, round  up  a  school  of  mullet  and  catch  them  in  the  air 
as  they  leaped  from  the  water. 


On  the  Way  to  Cuthbert  Lake 

It  took  us  five  hours  to  reach  the  mouth  of  Snake  Creek, 
near  the  head  of  the  Bight,  and  the  tops  of  the  "Pearl's" 
masts  were  then  barely  visible;  thanks  to  favorable  condi- 
tions and  Roberts '  willing  exertions,  I  greatly  enjoyed  this 
usually  dreaded,  much  prolonged  landing.  There  were 
great  beds  of  Willet  and  White  Ibis  on  bars  at  the  head  of 
the  Bight,  and  six  Eeddish  Egrets  were  fishing  there  in 
their  eager,  alert,  graceful  way. 

At  the  mouth  of  Snake  Creek  we  paused  for  breakfast, 
resuming  our  journey  through  the  mangroves  to  Cuthbert 


140  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Lake.  I  had  formed  a  belief  that  this  part  of  our  route 
would  be  traversed  with  great  labor,  but  I  do  not  recall  a 
more  interesting  and  enjoyable  boating  trip.  For  four 
hours  we  followed  channels  through  the  mangroves,  often 
so  narrow  that  there  was  barely  room  for  the  passage  of 
the  boats.  The  branches  formed  a  dense  canopy  overhead, 
and  marks  of  the  axe  showed  they  had  grown  as  freely 
below,  in  places,  limbs  and  roots  having  been  cut  out  every 
yard  of  the  way. 

There  were  obvious  advantages  in  not  being  pioneers 
over  this  trail !  As  the  shores  became  somewhat  drier,  the 
trees  grew  higher.  The  stilt-like,  many  branched  man- 
groves took  the  most  untree-like  forms,  their  limbs,  with 
those  of  the  button-woods,  being  laden  with  orchids,  wild 
pines  and  other  parasitic  epiphytes.  In  the  background, 
triangular  stalked  cactuses,  giant  ferns,  and  a  small  fan 
palm,  I  have  not  seen  elsewhere  in  Florida,  grew  profusely. 
Seen  through  a  picturesque  tangle  of  plant-burdened  man- 
grove limbs,  down  an  aisle  of  dark  water,  they  produced  an 
impression  of  the  most  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation,  and 
only  the  birds  were  needed  to  make  one  believe  he  was  on 
some  Lower  Amazonian  igaripe.  Birds,  however,  were  not 
common  along  the  wild  borders  of  these  attractive  streams ; 
a  few  Cardinals,  Carolina  Wrens,  and  White-eyed  Vireos, 
all  in  their  south  Florida  forms,  being  virtually  the  only 
species  observed. 

At  intervals,  these  shaded  passages  opened  into  lakes, 
six  in  all,  varying  in  size  from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  be- 
tween two  and  three  miles  in  length.  The  larger  lakes  were 
set  with  islands,  breaking  the  distance  and  forming  charm- 
ing vistas  all  bordered  with  mangroves.  Here,  still  lingered 
hundreds  of  Coots  and  Lesser  Scaup  Ducks  with  a  few  Blue- 
winged  Teal.  Here,  too,  were  numerous  fish ;  a  bass  and  a 
small  tarpon  leaping  into  one  of  our  boats  as  voluntary 
contributions  to  our  larder. 

The  exit  from  one  lake  into  the  passage  to  another  was 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY  141 

sometimes  at  the  end  of  the  lake,  sometimes  at  the  side 
masked  by  over-hanging  limbs,  which  it  was  necessary  to 
raise  to  permit  the  entrance  of  our  boats.  If  Cuthbert 
Rookery  had  not  been  discovered  from  the  rear,  it  would 
probably  still  remain  unknown.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that 
anyone,  unguided,  could  have  reached  it  over  the  course  we 
travelled. 

Cuthbert  Lake  is  a  mile  and  a  half  long.  The  rookery  is 
on  a  mangrove-grown  island,  not  over  an  acre  in  extent,  a 
mile  from  the  entrance  to  the  lake,  but  with  the  sun  at  our 
backs  as  we  emerged  from  the  last  creek,  we  distinctly  saw 
pink-plumaged  birds  flitting  against  the  dark  green  back- 
ground of  their  home.  They  were  the  first  Spoonbills  I  had 
ever  seen  in  Florida,  during  over  twenty  years  bird  study 
in  the  state.  I  seemed  to  have  overtaken  primitive  Florida 
bird-life  where  it  was  making  its  last  stand. 

In  the  face  of  a  stiff  breeze,  the  boats  were  urged  over 
the  brackish,  amber-colored,  shallow  waters,  the  hard,  rock 
bottom  making  each  push  of  the  oar  yield  its  full  return. 
But  the  life  of  a  mangrove  rookery  does  not  reveal  itself 
until  one  is  near  enough  to  startle  the  birds  resting  or  nest- 
ing on  the  branches  beneath  the  dense  foliage,  and  it  was 
not  until  we  were  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  island  that 
we  could  form  an  idea  of  the  kinds  and  numbers  of  its  occu- 
pants. Then,  the  alarmed  birds  began  to  appear  and  we 
saw  that  there  were  between  thirty  and  forty  Spoonbills,  a 
dozen  or  more  Snowy  Egrets,  three  or  four  hundred  Ameri- 
can Egrets,  at  least  two  thousand  Louisiana  Herons  with 
possibly  fifty  Little  Blue  Herons,  several  hundred  White 
Ibises  and  a  few  Cormorants  and  Water  Turkeys.  It  was  a 
fine  sight  but  was  soon  robbed  of  its  chief  attraction  by  the 
departure  of  the  Spoonbills  and  most  of  the  White  Herons, 
which  gathered  in  a  gleaming  flock  in  trees  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  lake.  The  Louisianas  having  no  commercially 
valuable  plumes  to  dispose  of,  retain  a  limited  confidence  in 
man  and  expressed  their  fears  only  by  much  calling  and 


142 


FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 


flying  about  the  rookery  without  actually  leaving  it.  On 
landing,  we  found  that  the  Spoonbills  and  American  Egrets 
had  nests  with  eggs.  Probably  also  the  Snowy  Egrets  were 
nesting  but  we  did  not  succeed  in  identifying  their  eggs.  The 
season  was  less  advanced  than  we  had  hoped  to  find  it,  but 
a  later  visit  would  doubtless  have  shown  us  only  a  scene  of 
devastation,  and  we  considered  ourselves  fortunate  in  find- 
ing an  exceptionally  large  number  of  ' '  White ' '  birds. 


Snowy  Egrets 

Their  presence  was  attributed  in  part  to  the  prolonged 
drouth  which  had  resulted  in  the  desertion  of  other  rook- 
eries, in  part  to  molestation  elsewhere. 

It  is  difficult  to  study  and  photograph  satisfactorily  the 
home-life  of  birds  which  nest  in  mangroves.  They  cannot  be 
seen  well  from  below,  while  the  foliage  screens  them  from 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY 


145 


Louisiana 
Herons 


above  and,  they  build  so  near 
the  tops  of  the  trees,  it  is 
generally  impossible  to  get  a 
suitable  point  of  vantage  for 
concealment  at  their  level.  I 
arranged  my  blind,  however, 
in  what  appeared  to  be  the 
best  place,  and  left  the  rook- 
ery for  the  camp  which  our 
men  had  made  back  of  the 
mangroves,  amid  the  palms, 


ferns,  and  orchid-hung  trees 
on  the  nearest  mainland,  dis- 
tant a  quarter  of  a  mile.  My 
first  act  now,  was  to  erect  a 
bar,  in  preparation  for  the 
horde  of  mosquitoes  which 
are  usually  the  most  serious 
problem  in  life  here,  but,  be 
it  said  to  the  credit  of  this 
insect,  not  ten  were  seen 
during  our  stay. 


"  Perched 
on  the  mangroves 
silent  and  alert " 


144  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

Observations  made  early .  the  following  morning,  from 
a  tree-top  near  our  camp,  showed  that  apparently  all  the 
Spoonbills  and  many  of  the  Egrets  had  returned  to  the 
rookery  after  our  departure  the  preceding  evening;  but 
when  we  attempted  to  call  upon  them  they  quickly  left  with- 
out waiting  to  inquire  the  nature  of  our  visit.  There  being 
no  young  birds  to  attract  them,  it  was  evident  that  we  could 
not  hope  to  observe  these  birds  until  they  returned  in  the 
afternoon.  I  therefore  entered  my  blind  at  two  o'clock 
remaining  until  nightfall.  While  I  made  no  especially  note- 
worthy observations  or  photographs,  the  experience 
brought  me  very  close  to  the  spirit  of  rookery  life  and  pos- 
sessed in  a  high  degree  that  intense  interest  aroused  by 
one's  unsuspected  presence  among  a  great  gathering  of 
birds.  During  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon  the  Louis- 
iana Herons — known  locally  as  *  *  Loosies ' ' — claimed  my  at- 
tention. Their  nests  were  everywhere;  in  the  trees  and 
bushes  from  three  or  four  feet,  to  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
above  the  ground.  Some  were  near  the  drier  central  part  of 
the  island,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  were  in  the  bor- 
dering mangroves.  Most  of  them  contained  the  full  set  of 
three  fresh  eggs,  but  the  birds  were  still  animated  by  the  ex- 
citement of  mating  and  in  contest  or  display  created  a  con- 
fusing variety  and  volume  of  sounds.  When  perched  on  the 
mangroves  they  were  silent  and  alert,  but  encountering  a 
mate  or  rival,  in  the  branches  below,  both  uttered  a  loud, 
sing-song,  qua-haw,  qua-haw,  qua-haw,  qua-haw,  or  quit-it- 
now,  quit-it-now,  quit-it-now,  as  with  neck  feathers  bristling 
until  this  part  seemed  three  times  its  usual  diameter,  and 
crest  raised,  they  pointed  their  bills  upward  and  half-opened 
their  wings.  The  action  revealed  the  function  of  the  elon- 
gated neck-feathers  of  this  species,  which  were  so  ruffled 
that  the  bird  seemed  to  be  wearing  a  feather  boa.  While  not 
shy,  the  birds  were  nervous  in  the  extreme  and  the  snap- 
ping of  a  twig  was  followed  by  silence  and,  with  a  rush  of 
wings,  the  sudden  flight  of  virtually  every  bird  that  heard 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY  145 

it.  But  their  alarm  was  quickly  forgotten  and  in  a  few 
minutes  they  had  returned  and  the  qua-haw  chorus  was 
again  in  full  blast.  They  uttered  also  other  notes ;  among 
them  a  singular  growling  call  which  no  one  would  think  of 
attributing  to  a  Heron.  With  but  few  exceptions,  the  birds 
observed  were  in  full  nuptial  plumage,  with  the  face  and 
base  of  the  bill  blue,  but  several,  doubtless  non-breeding 
birds,  were  in  winter  dress. 

The  nests  of  the  American  Egrets  and  Spoonbills  were 
both  in  the  mangroves,  often  near  each  other,  at  an  average 
height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet.  Aside  from  the  marked  differ- 
ence in  their  eggs  the  much  larger  twigs  employed  by  the 
Spoonbills  made  their  nests  easily  distinguishable  from 
those  of  the  Egrets.  The  Spoonbills '  eggs  were  fresh ;  those 
of  the  Egrets  had  been  incubated  for  about  ten  days. 

In  the  absence  of  their  owners,  Fish  Crows  and  Florida 
Crows  played  havoc  with  the  eggs  in  these  nests  as  well  as 
with  those  of  the  Louisiana  Herons,  when  opportunity  offer- 
ed. But  although  Crows  may  be  considered  the  natural  ene- 
mies of  Herons,  whose  rookeries  they  regularly  frequent  in 
search  of  eggs  or  young  birds,  the  Herons  paid  no  attention 
to  them  and  one  could  but  contrast  their  conduct  with  thai 
of  the  Kingbird  when  a  Crow  ventures  near  its  nest.  Only 
the  knowledge  that  the  rookery  was  doomed,  warranted  us 
in  causing  the  destruction  entailed  by  the  Crows'  depreda- 
tions. In  view  of  the  plumers '  proposed  visit,  I  confess  I 
spared  no  effort,  once  our  work  was  done,  to  drive  the 
Kgrets  and  Spoonbills  from  the  rookery,  in  the  hope  that 
they  might  escape  a  worse  fate  than  being  robbed  by  Crows. 

The  Egrets  returned  in  only  small  numbers  and  perched 
no  nearer  than  fifty  yards  from  my  blind,  at  which  distance 
I  attempted  to  photograph  them  with  a  23-inch  lens,  having 
on  my  ground  glass  at  one  time,  the  American  and  three 
Snowy  Egrets. 

These  birds  were  suspicious  and  ill  at  ease,  taking  alarm 
at  the  slightest  unusual  sound.  Bradley,  while  hunting  in 


146  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

the  saw-grass,  in  the  Everglades  at  the  north,  narrowly 
escaped  being  bitten  by  a  rattlesnake,  which  he  shot  with 
his  rifle.  Later,  he  stated  that  at  the  time  he  was  a  mile  and 
a  half  across  the  wind  from  the  rookery.  The  report  of  his 
gun  was  barely  noticeable  but  every  White  Egret  in  the 
rookery  sprang  into  the  air  as  though  it  had  been  fired  at 
and  flew  rapidly  from  the  rookery.  Several  similar  instan- 
ces of  the  remarkable  development  of  this  bird's  fear  of  man 
and  his  ways  were  observed,  and  herein  lies  its  only  hope  of 
safety.  As  a  plumer  was  reported  to  have  put  it,  the  birds 
are  now  so  excessively  shy  that  "  you  can't  even  set  in  a 
ruke-ry  without  every  bird  a-leavin '  it. " 

The  exquisite  Snowy  Egrets,  virtually  the  last  of  their 
line  in  Florida,  seemed  less  wary  than  the  American  Egrets, 
as  might  be  predicted  perhaps  from  their  smaller  size,  a  fact 
which  may  account  for  their  more  rapid  decrease. 

As  the  sunlight  failed  and  the  polished  mangrove  leaves 
passed  into  cold  shadow,  birds  began  to  return  to  the  rook- 
ery for  the  night.  Flock  after  flock  of  White  Ibises,  with 
bright  red  feet  and  faces,  came  to  roost  in  favorite  trees ; 
with  much  talking  the  Louisiana  Herons  greeted  birds  that 
had  been  absent  during  the  day ;  Turkey  Vultures  perched 
in  rows  on  the  branches  of  a  dead  tree,  and,  suddenly,  with 
a  woof-woof-woof  of  wings  six  Spoonbills  lit  up  my  fore- 
ground. One  of  them  perched  within  fifteen  feet  of  me. 
Other  Spoonbills  flew  overhead,  evidently  reconnoitering, 
and  it  was  when  seen  against  the  intense  blue  of  the  zenith 
that  their  peach-blossom  color  appeared  to  take  its  deepest 
hue.  Their  flock-formation  was  the  diagonal,  single  file  of 
White  Ibis  but,  unlike  those  birds,  they  maintained  a  steady 
flapping,  uninterrupted  by  short  sails. 

As  it  grew  darker,  the  birds  became  more  numerous, 
pouring  into  the  rookery  from  every  side,  and  as  they  set- 
tled for  the  night,  disputing  the  possession  of  some  perch 
with  their  neighbors,  there  arose  a  veritable  babel  of  voices. 
The  Louisianas  added  new  chucks  and  squawks  to  the  quit- 


CUTHBERT  ROOKERY 


147 


Roseate  Spoonbill 


it-now  chorus ;  there  was  the  deep,  rasping  guttural  rattle  of 
the  larger  Egret ;  the  singular  liquid,  rolling  tvoola-woold 
of  Ibis  or  Spoonbill,  I  could  not  determine  which,  while  from 
below,  Coots  uttered  their  explosive  chut  and  Florida  Galli- 
nules  drew  on  their  limitless  vocabulary  of  hen-like  notes. 

Their  keen  sight  dimmed  by  the  gloom,  the  birds  were 
less  shy.  A  Louisiana  Heron  sought  what  was  doubtless 
his  regularly  frequented  perch  almost  within  reach  of  my 
foot,  others  took  adjoining  limbs,  and,  as  the  crowning  event 


148  FLORIDA  BIRD-LIFE 

of  the  afternoon,  a  Spoonbill  and  two  Snowy  Egrets  roosted 
in  the  same  tree  with  me.  Surely  this  was  an  honor  these 
rarest  of  American  birds  have  accorded  few  ornithologists. 
It  was  almost  dark  when  I  left  the  rookery  but  birds  were 
still  returning  to  it,  and  with  the  air  of  one  who  had  waited 
with  a  purpose,  Roberts  said  that  "  Long  Whites  "  would 
come  back  as  late  as  nine  o  'clock. 

Cuthbert  Eookery  should  be  preserved,  both  because  it 
is  a  fine  example  of  a  type  of  communal  bird-life,  for 
which  Florida  was  once  distinguished,  and  because  it  will 
be  the  last  refuge  for  several  species  of  birds,  which,  with- 
out such  protection,  will  shortly  become  extinct  in  the  Uinted 
States.  The  task,  however,  would  require  the  employment 
of  two  wardens  for  at  least  four  months  of  each  year,  and 
it  should  be  undertaken  only  when  it  is  assured  that  through 
lack  of  funds  or  for  other  reasons,  the  plumers  would  not 
eventually  reap  the  results. 


"  Spoonbills  flew  overhead  " 


PART   IV. 
BAHAMA    BIRD-LIFE 

THE   FLAMINGO 
THE  EGG  BIRDS 

THE  BOOBY  AND  THE 
MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


Flamingo  and  Chick 

Compare  the  decurved  bill  of  the  adult  with  th« 
straight  bill  of  the  young 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

INTRODUCTORY 

To  the  naturalist  there  is  an  unusual  interest  in  the 
study  of  island  life.  An  island  may  be  a  world  with  a  defi- 
nitely known  history.  Possibly  we  may  even  give  the  date 
of  its  appearance,  as  bar,  reef,  or  cone,  above  the  waters.  In 
attempting,  therefore,  to  analyze  the  life  of  such  islands  we 
are  not  confronted  by  those  perplexing  problems  which 
often  render  similar  efforts  with  mainland  faunas  so  far 
from  satisfactory. 

The  Bahamas,  for  example,  present  a  comparatively 
simple  case.  The  shallow  waters  of  the  Bahaman  Bank 
support  a  great  variety  of  lime-secreting  animals — corals, 
gorgonias,  algae,  echinoderms,  mollusks,  etc.,  whose  skele- 
tons ground  up  by  the  action  of  the  waves  make  a  calcar- 
eous sand  of  which  every  island  in  the  group,  from  Great 
Bahama,  to  Turks  Island,  a  distance  of  some  550  miles,  is 
composed. 

It  is  not  essential  to  describe  the  aeolian  process  through 
which  these  islands  were  formed — so  well  illustrated  by  the 
exposure  in  the  approach  to  the  Queen's  Stairway  at  Nas- 
sau— but  it  is  important  for  us  to  know  that  there  is  no  geo- 
logic or  biologic  evidence  to  show  that  they  have  ever  been 
connected  with  other  land.  They  belong,  therefore,  to  the 
class  which  Wallace  has  designated  as  Oceanic  Islands  as 
opposed  to  Continental  Islands,  like,  for  instance,  Trinidad 
or  England  and  Scotland. 

Island-making  is  still  in  active  progress  in  the  Bahamas 
and  one  has  only  to  cruise  through  the  group  to  see  islands 
in  every  stage  of  development  and  obtain,  as  it  were,  an  epi- 


152  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

tome  of  its  geologic  history.  Closer  study  would  reveal  the 
gradual  growth  of  animal  and  plant  life,  as  the  islands 
themselves  have  increased  in  age  and  become  suited  to  sup- 
port a  flora  and  fauna. 

Restricting  our  attention  to  birds,  we  find  that  they  are 
the  very  earliest  forms  of  life  to  take  possession  of  these 
new  bits  of  the  earth's  surface;  these  little  worlds.  Long 
before  plants  obtain  a  hold  on  the  water-worn  limestone  of 
the  just  born  key,  the  "  Pimlico  "  (Audubon's  Shearwater) 
and  the  "  Egg-birds"  (Sooty,  Bridled,  and  Noddy  Terns) 
come  to  them.  The  keys  furnish  a  home  in  which  free  from 
molestation — except  by  man — they  may  lay  their  eggs  and 
rear  their  young,  while  the  surrounding  waters  afford  an 
unfailing  supply  of  food.  Later,  after  sedge  (Borrichia), 
sea  lavender  (Tournefortia),  bay  cedar  (Suriana),  sea 
grape  (Coccolobis),  prickly  pear  (Opuntia),  and  other 
pioneer  forms  of  vegetation  have  covered  the  rocks  with  a 
dense,  scrubby  growth,  they  become  suitable  for  the  occu- 
pation of  White-crowned  Pigeons,  Ground  Doves,  Honey 
Creepers,  Vireos  (Vireo  eras  sir  ostris]  and  Bahama  Mock- 
ingbirds. Thus  we  advance  from  stage  to  stage  until  we 
reach  the  pine  forests  of  the  older  islands  with  their  Tana- 
gers  (Spindalis),  Warblers,  Woodpeckers,  and  Flycatchers. 

There  have  now  been  recorded  from  the  Bahamas  two 
hundred  and  four  species  and  subspecies  of  birds  (Riley, 
"  The  Bahaman  Islands,"  Macmillan  Co.)  Of  this  number, 
about  one  hundred  and  eight  nest  in  the  islands  and  most  of 
these  are  resident  there  throughout  the  year.  The  approxi- 
mately ninety-six  non-breeding  birds  are,  with  few  excep- 
tions, migrants  from  eastern  North  America.  Many  of  them 
winter  in  the  Bahamas,  while  others  use  them  as  stepping 
stones  to  and  from  more  southern  winter  homes.  In  no  in- 
stance, unless  they  breed  in  the  same  latitude  on  the  main- 
land, have  these  migratory  birds  become  permanently  res- 
ident in  the  islands. 

Of  the  one  hundred  and  eight  breeding  species,  no  less 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE  153 

than  forty-four  have  become  sufficiently  changed  from  their 
ancestral  stock  to  be  designated  as  new  forms  or  species.  In 
only  one  instance,  and  that,  strange  to  say,  is  supplied  by  a 
Swallow  (Callichelidon  cyaneoviridis),  has  this  differentia- 
tion progressed  far  enough  to  be  accorded  generic  rank.  In 
the  remaining  forty-three  cases  it  is  so  slight  that  in  almost 
every  instance  it  is  possible  to  point  with  assurance  to  the 
particular  species  from  which  it  is  believed  the  Bahaman 
bird  has  been  derived. 

Such  an  analysis  shows  us  that  Cuba  has  made  the 
largest  contribution  to  Bahaman  bird-life,  while  Hayti  and 
Florida  have  been  drawn  on  to  a  lesser  degree.  Of  evident- 
ly fortuitous  origin  are  some  half-a-dozen  birds  apparently 
derived  from  Mexican  or  Central  American  species.  The 
ancestors  of  these  birds  possibly  owe  their  occurrence  in  the 
Bahamas  to  the  action  of  tropical  storms.  Blown  to  an 
island,  their  opportunities  for  establishing  themselves 
would  be  far  more  favorable  than  on  the  more  thickly  popu- 
lated mainland. 

As  to  the  causes  which  have  been  potent  in  producing 
these  peculiar  Bahaman  forms  little  can  be  said.  "We  may 
assume  that  changed  conditions  of  environment  acting  on 
isolated  species,  have  resulted  in  their  evolution  into  new 
species,  presumably  better  adapted  to  new  surroundings. 
In  the  further  division  of  a  Bahaman  species  into  two  or 
more  races,  each  restricted  to  a  single  island,  the  case  be- 
comes more  perplexing.  We  have  not  different  physiogra- 
phic or  climatic  conditions  to  the  influences  of  which  we  may 
ascribe  the  changes  observed.  On  the  contrary,  we  find  dif- 
ferent forms  of  the  same  species  inhabiting  islands  almost 
within  sight  of  each  other,  where  all  conditions  of  soil,  cli- 
mate, and  flora  are  essentially  similar.  Perhaps  we  can  as- 
sume here  that  through  the  continued  isolation  of  a  compar- 
atively small  number  of  individuals,  certain  characters,  due 
originally  purely  to  individual  variation,  have  became  per- 
petuated and  specific.  Among  a  smaller  number  of  birds 


154  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

the  extent  of  variation  would  not  be  so  wide ;  but  this  would 
be  counterbalanced  by  the  fact  that  any  dominant  character 
would  be  far  more  likely  to  be  preserved  through  the  forced 
interbreeding  of  closely  related  individuals.  This  would 
also  hasten  the  consummation  of  permanent  forms ;  the  rate 
of  divergence  among  island-inhabiting  species  being,  there- 
fore, more  rapid  than  among  those  of  the  mainland. 

The  absence  of  terrestrial  mammalia  on  oceanic  islands 
greatly  simplifies  the  problem  of  existence  for  species  whose 
habits  render  them  subject  to  attack  from  predaceous  ani- 
mals. Species  which  have  become  extinct  on  continental 
areas,  therefore,  often  continue  to  exist  on  oceanic  islands 
which  thus  play  the  part  of  protectors  as  well  as  creators  of 
species.  The  Flamingo,  for  example,  is  known  in  Florida 
only  as  an  increasingly  rare  winter  visitor  to  the  southern 
coast ;  but  in  the  Bahamas,  man  appears  to  be  its  only  ene- 
my, and,  in  favorable  localities,  where  it  is  secure  from 
molestation,  this  bird  continues  to  exist  in  large  numbers. 


Sooty  Tern 


THE  FLAMINGO 

There  are  larger  birds  than  the  Flamingo,  and  birds 
with  more  brilliant  plumage,  but  no  other  large  bird  is  so 
brightly  colored  and  no  other  brightly  colored  bird  is  so 
large.  In  brief,  size  and  beauty  of  plume  united,  reach  their 
maximum  of  development  in  this  remarkable  bird,  while  the 
open  nature  of  its  haunts  and  its  gregariousness  seem  spe- 
cially designed  to  display  its  marked  characteristics  of  form 
and  color  to  the  most  striking  advantage. 

When  to  these  more  superficial  attractions  is  added  the 
fact  that  little  or  nothing  has  been  known  of  the  nesting  hab- 
its of  this  singular  bird,  one  may,  in  a  measure  at  least,  rea- 
lize the  intense  longing  of  the  naturalist,  not  only  to  behold 
a  Flamingo  City — without  question  the  most  remarkable 
sight  in  the  bird  world — but,  at  the  same  time,  to  lift  the 
veil  through  which  the  Flamingo 's  home-life  has  been  but 
dimly  seen. 

Flamingos  belong  to  the  group  of  birds  which  in  the  later 
Tertiary  Period  doubtless  were  of  circumpolar  distribution 
and  are  now  confined  to  the  warmer  parts  of  both  hemis- 
pheres (see  also  remarks  on  the  former  distribution  of  Pel- 
icans). 

Two  species  exist  in  the  Old  World,  four  in  the  New.  Of 
the  latter,  the  largest,  brightest,  and  most  common  species  is 
the  American  Flamingo  (Phoenicopterus  ruber)  which  is 
found  from  the  Bahamas  and  southern  Florida  (irregularly, 
in  winter)  to  Brazil  and  the  Galapagos.  Probably  in  no 
other  part  of  the  area  inhabited  by  this  bird  is  it  more  abun- 
dant than  in  certain  Bahaman  islands.  Here,  the  vast  shal- 
low lagoons  and  far-reaching  * '  swashes ' '  contain  an  appar- 
ently inexhaustible  store  of  small,  spiral  shell  (Cerithium) 
upon  which  it  appears  to  feed  exclusively.  These  lagoons 


156  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

also  afford  it  a  home  where,  in  the  absence  of  all  other  pre- 
daceous  animals,  man  appears  to  be  its  only  enemy. 

The  Bahamas,  therefore,  are  not  only  the  best  but  the 
nearest  ground  in  which  the  American  naturalist  may  hope 
to  study  the  Flamingo  during  the  season  of  reproduction. 
Indeed,  it  was  in  the  Bahamas  that  C.  J.  Maynard,  in  1884, 
and  Sir  Henry  Blake,  in  1887,  first  reported  from  actual  ob- 
servation, the  inaccuracy  of  the  story  that  Flamingos 
' '  straddle ' '  their  nests  with  their  legs  dangling  on  each  side 
— a  myth  which,  originating  with  Dampier,  in  1669,  had  per- 
sisted for  nearly  two  hundred  years,  in  default  of  more  defi- 
nite information.  At  about  the  same  time,  Abel  Chapman 
and  Lord  Lilford,  through  their  explorations  in  Spain,  re- 
lieved the  European  species  from  the  same  awkward  posi- 
tion, which  it  had  held — in  natural  history  literature,  at 
least — for  so  long  a  period.  None  of  these  naturalists,  how- 
ever, appears  to  have  established  intimate  relations  with 
the  Flamingo.  Their  brief  observations  were  made  either 
from  a  distance  or  when  the  birds  had  been  frightened  from 
their  nests.  They  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  discover 
young  Flamingos,  nor  did  they  attempt  to  use  the  camera. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1902  that  I  first  went  to  the  Ba- 
hamas in  search  of  Flamingos.  A  plan  long  in  mind  then 
matured  under  exceptionally  favorable  circumstances,  and 
the  story  of  this  and  a  succeeding  expedition  of  1904,  as  told 
in  ' '  The  Century ' '  for  December  of  the  last  named  year,  ap- 
pears to  have  aroused  an  interest  which  possibly  warrants 
the  addition  of  certain  details  here. 

On  April  22,  1902,  with  J.  Lewis  Bonhote,  Mrs.  Bonhote, 
Mrs.  Chapman,  Louis  Fuertes  and  a  crew  of  seven  negroes, 
I  sailed  from  Nassau  in  the  60-foot  schooner  "  Estrella  " 
bound  for  Inaugua.  As  a  former  secretary  to  the  governor 
of  the  Bahamas,  Mr.  Bonhote  had  enjoyed  exceptional  op- 
portunities to  secure  information  which  proved  of  the  first 
importance.  Unfortunately  our  plan  to  visit  Inaugua  was 
prevented  by  an  attack  of  measles  which,  on  the  third  day 


THE  FLAMINGO  157 

out,  fell  to  my  lot.  Keturning  to  Nassau,  Mrs.  Chapman  and 
I  were  placed  in  an  abandoned  lunatic  ward  of  the  Colonial 
Hospital,  which  on  one  side  was  bounded  by  the  lepers '  com- 
pound, while  the  quarters  for  the  insane  were  somewhat  fur- 
ther removed  on  the  other.  At  our  door  was  a  large  cistern 
occupied  by  a  thriving  colony  of  tree  toads  whose  united  voi- 
ces, echoing  in  their  cavernous  home,  often  made  it  impossi- 
ble to  distinguish  the  cries  of  our  demented  neighbors.  The 
experience  was  not  devoid  of  novelty. 

In  place  of  the  trip  to  Inaugua,  for  which  time  was  now 
lacking,  Bonhote  and  Fuertes  decided  to  go  to  southern  An- 
dros,  where  the  former  had  learned  through  the  Rev.  F. 
Barrows  Matthews,  of  a  Flamingo  rookery  which  Mr.  Mat- 
thews had  visited  in  1898.  It  was  agreed  to  make  camp  near 
the  coast  and  use  small  boats  to  reach  the  site  of  the  rookery 
while  the  schooner  was  to  be  sent  back  for  me. 

Two  weeks  later  I  joined  the  camping  party.  They  had 
visited  the  old  rookery  and  explored  the  surrounding  coun- 
try seeing  many  Flamingos  but  finding  no  occupied  nests. 
No  efforts  had  been  spared  to  secure  specimens  of  the  Fla- 
mingo, Fuertes  especially  desiring  one  to  paint,  but  thus  far 
he  had  been  unsuccessful,  and  while  this  narrative  is  not  a 
record  of  birds  killed,  the  manner  in  which  the  first  two  of 
our  total  of  four  Flamingos  were  secured  went  so  far 
toward  compensating  me  for  my  fortnight  with  the  lepers 
and  lunatics  that  I  cannot  resist  the  satisfaction  of  describ- 
ing it. 

The  day  following  my  arrival,  being  still  too  weak  to 
hunt,  I  was  landed  on  a  comparatively  open  place  on  the 
banks  of  the  creek  at  the  mouth  of  which  the  "Estrella" 
was  anchored,  while  the  boat  continued  toward  the  interior 
in  search  of  fire-wood.  The  discharge  of  my  gun  startled 
two  Flamingos,  which,  unseen,  had  been  feeding  in  a  near- 
by lagoon.  They  headed  for  the  interior,  but,  seeing  the 
boat,  turned  to  fly  down  the  creek,  and  from  my  hiding-place 
behind  a  mangrove  both  were  secured  as  they  passed.  Later 


158 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


in  the  morning,  and  not  fifty  yards  away,  I  took  the  first 
specimen  of  Northrop 's  Oriole  collected  since  the  discovery 
of  the  species  by  the  late  Dr.  John  I.  Northrop,  on  Andros, 
in  1880 ;  two  visits  from  fortune  which,  I  fear,  Bonhote  and 
Fuertes,  whose  plans  I  had  so  sadly  disturbed,  did  not  con- 
sider altogether  deserved ! 


Painting  the   First  Flamingo 

It  was  now  decided  to  visit  the  Washerwoman  Keys 
where  Terns  were  nesting,  while  awaiting  a  possible  return 
of  the  Flamingos  to  their  old  nesting  ground ;  but  when  we 
reached  the  place  on  May  14,  there  were  still  no  signs  of  re- 
occupation. 

This  was  my  first  visit  to  even  a  deserted  Flamingo  City 
and  I  examined  its  ruins  with  the  interst  of  an  archaeologist 
finds  in  the  dwellings  of  a  lost  race. 

Exploration  of  the  surrounding  country  showed  that  it 
had  been  regularly  frequented  by  Flamingos  during  the 


THE  FLAMINGO  159 

nesting  season.  Within  a  radius  of  a  mile,  no  less  than 
eight  groups  of  nests  were  discovered.  They  exhibited  suc- 
cessive stages  of  decay  from  the  old  nests,  which  had  almost 
disappeared  before  the  action  of  the  elements,  to  those 
which  were  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation  and  had 
evidently  been  occupied  the  preceding  year.  Indeed,  in  one 
of  these  nests,  I  found  an  old  egg. 

Some  nests  were  placed  among  small  mangroves,  others 
were  hidden  in  the  well-grown  mangroves,  and  one  colony, 
which  I  subsequently  learned  from  Mr.  Matthews,  had  been 
occupied  in  1898,  was  situated  on  a  sand-bar  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  nearest  vegetation.  All  the  groups 
examined  contained  several  hundred  nests,  and  the  one  on 
the  sand-bar,  by  actual  count  of  a  measured  section,  was 
composed  of  2000  of  the  little  mud  dwellings.  What  an 
amazing  sight  this  settlement  must  have  presented  when  it 
was  inhabited  by  red-plumaged  birds  standing  as  closely 
massed  as  the  position  of  the  nests  would  indicate !  With 
the  scene  clearly  pictured  in  my  mind,  I  knew  I  should 
never  be  content  until  I  had  seen  it  in  nature. 

The  thousands  of  nests  seen  were  built  of  mud,  which,  I 
learned  later,  was  scooped  up  by  the  bird  from  about  its 
feet.  In  selecting  a  nesting-site,  therefore,  the  birds  are 
governed  by  the  condition  of  the  ground,  which  must  be  soft 
enough  to  serve  as  mortar.  When  the  rainy  season  comes 
early  in  May,  and  the  rainfall  is  heavy,  the  water  on  the 
flat  swashes  runs  back  into  the  mangroves  and  the  birds 
then  build  in  the  bushes.  But  when  the  rains  are  delayed, 
or  are  light,  the  birds  must  come  more  in  the  open  about  the 
borders  of  the  lagoons.  This  enforced  proximity  to  water, 
brings  with  it  danger  from  tides  or  the  floods  following  a 
tropical  downpour,  and  the  nest  is  therefore  made  high 
enough  to  protect  its  contents  from  a  rise  in  the  water ;  the 
average  height  being  about  ten  inches. 

Flamingos  in  small  flocks  containing  from  three  or  four 
to  fifty  individuals,  were  seen,  but  they  were  excessively 


160 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


A  Deserted  Flamingo  City  Containing  about  2000  Nests 


~;-*  •          Mk  ':JP&J!?* 


A  Detail  of  the  Preceding  Illustration 


THE  FLAMINGO  l6l 

shy.  If,  without  cover,  we  attempted  to  approach  nearer 
than  two  hundred  yards,  there  was  a  sinuous  movement 
along  the  line  of  birds  as  the  long  slender  necks  were  raised 
and  the  birds  regarded  us  intently.  Drawing  nearer,  we 
could  hear  a  murmur  of  goose-like  honkings  as  the  birds,  in 
slow  and  stately  fashion,  began  to  move  away  step  by  step. 
Then  the  leader  sprang  into  the  air,  stretched  his  long  neck 
and  legs  to  the  utmost,  and,  followed  by  other  members  of 
the  flock,  in  diagonal  single  file,  generally  flew  out  of  sight. 
It  is  surprising  how  far,  under  proper  light  conditions,  even 
a  small  flock  of  Flamingos  may  be  seen.  Long  after  one  fails 
to  distinguish  the  individual,  in  the  waving,  undulating  line 
of  birds,  the  flock  shows  pink  against  the  sky  like  a  rapidly 
moving  wisp  of  cloud  which  finally  dissolves  into  space. 

The  "Estrella"  was  rated  an  exceptionally  seaworthy 
vessel  in  the  Bahamas ;  but  the  Bahaman  sailor 's  standard 
of  excellence  would  not,  I  fear,  pass  current  in  a  marine 
insurance  office.  Bahaman  boats  being  built  largely  of 
wreckage,  are,  so  to  speak,  born  old;  and  the  "Estrella" 
was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  From  the  beginning  of  our 
cruise  she  had  leaked  so  badly  that,  after  his  turn  at  the 
wheel,  every  man  was  obliged  to  pump  for  a  certain  period. 
This  period  gradually  increased  in  length  and  the  matter 
was  brought  to  a  focus,  when  we  were  about  to  set  sail  for 
Nassau,  by  the  discovery  of  numerous  jelly  fish  in  the  hold. 

Even  a  Bahaman  seaman  could  not  ignore  this  sign,  and 
Captain  Stiles  announced  that  the  "Estrella"  would  prob- 
ably go  to  the  bottom  if  we  sailed  without  stopping  her 
leaks.  How  this  was  to  be  done  without  dry-dock  or  ways 
was  not  apparent ;  but  voyagers  here  early  learn  the  neces- 
sity of  self-reliance,  and  we  now  witnessed  a  maneuver 
such  as  pirates  had  doubtless  often  practiced  in  these 
waters. 

Instead  of  turning  our  boat  seaward,  we  headed  for  the 
shore  and  on  the  full  of  the  early  morning  tide  ran  the 
' '  Estrella  ' '  aground.  The  crew,  with  the  assistance  of 


162 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


negro  spongers  who,  scenting  trouble,  at  once  bore  down  on 
us,  now  began  to  pass  the  ballast  up  from  below  with  the 
energy  one  would  pass  water-buckets  at  a  fire,  and  our 
decks  were  soon  as  littered  with  old  iron  as  the  backyard  of 
a  junk  shop.  When  they  overflowed,  boat-loads  of  old  chains, 
stones,  etc.,  were  sent  ashore. 


The  "  Estrella  "  Aground 

As  the  tide  fell  the  schooner  canted  more  and  more  to 
starboard  until  she  lay  at  a  sickening  angle.  The  removal 
of  the  ballast  now  exposed  the  false  bottom  and,  fortun- 
ately, the  first  plank  ripped  from  it  revealed  the  leak — a 
hole  alongside  the  keel  through  which  one  could  shove  an 
arm.  Oakum  and  soap  soon  stopped  it ;  the  plank  was 
replaced,  the  unwieldy  ballast  stowed,  an  anchor  run  astern 
and,  when  the  "Estrella"  was  pulled  off  the  bar  at  the 
return  of  the  tide,  we  all  agreed  that  we  had  never  seen  a 
better  day's  work. 

The  following  year  found  me  in  attendance  on  the  mem- 


THE  FLAMINGO 


163 


orable  Congress  of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union 
held  in  San  Francisco,  and  a  willing  captive  to  the  charms 
of  California  bird-life ;  but  a  negro  member  of  our  expedi- 
tion of  1902  was  dispatched  from  Nassau  to  southern  An- 
dros  to  report  on  the  movements  of  the  Flamingos,  with  a 
view  to  facilitating  work  the  following  season.  He  was 
unsuccessful,  and  at  the  end  of  two  seasons'  searching,  we 
seemed  to  have  made  small  progress  in  discovering  the 
location  of  the  Flamingo  stronghold.  Communications, 
however,  had  been  established  _ 
with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Matthews, 
who  had  directed  us  to  the 
abandoned  rookery  visited  in 
1902.  As  the  rector  of  Andros, 
and  one  of  the  twelve  white 
inhabitants  in  a  population 
of  between  five  and  six 
thousand,  Mr.  Matthews  was 
in  a  position  to  be  of  great 
service  in  continuing  the  search 
for  Flamingos,  and  his 
cooperation  proved  to  be  inval- 
uable. At  the  approach  of 
the  1904  breeding  season,  act- 
ing as  the  Museum's  represen- 
tative, he  sent  negroes  to  search  for  the  Flamingos '  nesting 
ground.  It  requires  an  exceptionally  courageous  native  to 
visit  the  more  remote  and  almost  unknown  interior  of  An- 
dros where,  indeed,  one  might  encounter  a  "  Jumby."  Only 
picked  men  were  employed,  but  one  after  the  other 
returned  unsuccessful,  without  perhaps  having  taken  too 
great  risks  in  Jumby  Land,  until  Peter  Bannister  alone  was 
left  to  continue  the  search,  and  it  was  owing  to  his  persever- 
ance that  the  home  of  the  Flamingo  was  found. 

Word  was  at  once  sent  me  by  vessel,  to  Nassau,  and 
thence,  by  cable,  to  Miami,  but  in  the  meantime,  accom- 


The  Gloria 


164  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

panied  by  Prof.  W.  M.  Wheeler,  I  had  sailed  from  the  latter 
place  in  the  schooner  * '  Gloria. ' '  Three  or  four  days  should 
have  brought  us  to  Mangrove  Cay,  Mr.  Matthews '  home, 
but  it  was  May  8,  when  we  left  Florida,  and  not  until  May 
17,  that  we  anchored  off  our  Bahaman  haven.  Surely  no  im- 
patient naturalist  was  ever  confronted  with  nine  days  filled 
with  more  adverse  conditions.  Calms,  squalls,  head  winds, 
deceptive  currents,  shoals,  reefs  and  coral  heads,  all  fell  to 
our  lot,  while  at  one  time,  at  nightfall,  when  a  negro  "pilot" 
ran  us  hard  and  fast  aground  on  a  lee  shore  at  high  tide,  the 
whole  expedition  seemed  threatened  with  an  untimely  end. 
Indeed,  subsequent  experience  in  these  waters  indicated 
that  on  this  occasion  we  must  have  been  under  the  protec- 
tion of  a  special  Providence.  We  were  without  barometer 
or  adequate  charts,  had  no  pilot,  and  not  a  man  aboard  the 
ship  had  ever  been  over  the  route  before.  Sighting  Great 
Isaac 's  light  at  sunset,  we  continued  running  all  night  to  the 
southeast  with  a  fresh  northeast  wind,  in  the  hope  of 
passing  to  the  northward  of  the  "  Josie"  (Joulter)  Keys. 
At  daybreak  land  was  in  sight  to  the  southward  but,  com- 
paratively speaking,  we  hadn  't  much  more  idea  what  it  was 
than  Columbus  had  under  not  dissimilar  conditions  in  these 
waters,  some  years  before.  We,  however,  could  understand 
the  language  of  the  natives  and  overhauling  a  sponging 
sloop  whose  captain  expressed  his  wonder  at  "de  fly-away 
ting ' '  bearing  down  on  him,  we  learned  that  the  land  ahead 
was  Bed  Bay  Settlement !  In  other  words,  carried  to  the 
westward  by  drift  and  possibly  tide  or  current,  we  had  gone 
to  the  leeward  instead  of  the  windward  of  the  Joulter  Keys, 
and  were  at  the  northwest,  not  the  northeast  end  of  Andros 
and  apparently  would  have  to  put  back  virtually  to  the 
place  we  had  left  the  preceding  evening — an  all  day's  per- 
formance. This,  in  effect,  was  equivalent  to  starting  again 
from  Miami. 

However,  when  the  captain  of  the  sponger  learned  that 
we  drew  only  three-and-a-half  feet  of  water  with  our  center 


THE  FLAMINGO  165 

board  up,  lie  offered  (for  two  pounds,  but  accepted  two 
dollars)  to  pilot  us  through  a  passage  immediately  north 
of  Andros,  a  route  which  promised  to  save  us  two  days ;  we 
placed  the  ' '  Gloria ' '  in  his  hands  with  the  result  before 
mentioned.  We  had  abundant  opportunity  the  next  day  to 
visit  the  surrounding  keys,  but,  aided  by  an  exceptionally 
high  tide  and  much  work  at  the  capstan  by  the  crew,  and 
various  negroes  who  had  been  attracted  by  the  mishap,  the 
"Gloria"  was  drawn  inch  by  inch  into  deeper  water. 
Among  our  negro  visitors  was  a  gigantic  fellow  who  ex- 
plained that  he  was  taking  his  wife  and  family — he  had  a 
boatful  of  children — on  a  wedding  trip ;  the  marriage  cere- 
mony having  been  deferred  somewhat  later  than  is  cus- 
tomary. 

The  following  day  we  reached  Nichols  Town,  near  the 
northeast  extremity  of  Andros.  It  is  attractively  situated 
on  high  ground,  with  an  abundance  of  cocoanuts  along  the 
shore,  and  is  inhabited  by  several  hundred  negroes  and  one 
white  man,  who,  hailing  from  London,  seemed  somewhat  out 
of  his  environment.  We  landed  to  send  mail,  and  asking  a 
uniformed  negro  for  the  postoffice,  were  conducted  to  a 
large,  one-room  building  at  the  end  of  which,  behind  a 
rather  formidable  looking  desk,  sat  a  yellow  gentleman — 
the  resident  magistrate,  so  we  learned.  He  was  very  digni- 
fied, very  reserved,  very  formal  and,  ignoring  our  inquiry 
concerning  out-going  mail,  proceeded  to  inquire  whence 
and  how  we  had  come,  and  whither  we  were  going.  We 
were  from  Florida,"  we  answered.  "Ah,  a  foreign 
country,"  he  observed.  Had  we  "made  entry  at  the 
Biminis?"  "No."  "At  Nassau?"  "No,  this  was  our 
first  port";  whereupon  this  representative  of  King 
Edward,  in  a  voice  vibrant  with  the  authority  of  the  whole 
British  Government,  said, "Do  you  know,  sirs,  that  you  have 
committed  a  great  crime?"  We  expressed  our  horror  and 
protested  our  ignorance.  What  had  we  done  ?  We  had 
landed  on  English  territory  without  calling  at  a  duly 


166 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


accredited  port  of  entry  and  having  our  bill  of  health 
examined ;  consequently  we  were  subject  to  arrest,  fine  and 
imprisonment  as  smugglers  and  pirates.  We  explained  and 
apologized  and  the  magisterial  authority  having  been  duly 
asserted,  were  permitted  with  a  warning  to  proceed  on  our 
way.  It  was  an  amusing  bit  of  opera  bouffe  rendered  still 


Peter 


more  so  when  we  learned,  several  weeks  later,  that  our 
yellow  friend  had  been  apprehended  for  larceny  in  office. 

The  weather  was  now  becoming  unsettled  and  we 
encountered  violent  squalls  which  often  forced  us  to  come  to 
anchor.  Evidently  the  rainy  season  was  opening.  We 
therefore  beat  southward  inside  the  reef  and  four  days 
more  brought  us  finally  to  Mangrove  Cay,  where  shallow 
water  forced  us  to  anchor  about  a  mile  off  shore.  Mr. 
Matthews  at  once  identified  the  strange  sail  and  put  off  in  a 


THE  FLAMINGO  167 

small  boat  to  meet  us,  but  scarcely  had  he  boarded  the 
' '  Gloria ' '  when  we  were  attacked  by  a  furious  cyclonic  rain- 
storm, which,  accompanied  by  violent  wind,  would  have 
landed  us  on  a  neighboring  reef  had  it  not  been  for  the  sea- 
manship of  our  captain,  who  quickly  got  over  three  anchors 
with  many  fathoms  of  stout  cable.  As  it  was,  two  spongers 
collided  with  us,  one  afterward  going  ashore;  Mr. 
Matthews '  boat  went  to  the  bottom,  and  Peter,  who  was  off 
shore  in  a  small  boat,  was  capsized,  but  thanks  to  low  tide 
and  a  friendly  bar,  was  spared  to  lead  us  to  the  Flamingos. 
For  a  short  time,  so  suddenly  had  the  storm  arisen,  the 
occasion  was  not  without  excitement. 

The  approach  of  the  storm  was  both  beautiful  and  inter- 
esting. One  heavy  shower  was  seen  advancing  from  the 
north,  another  from  the  south.  As  they  passed,  the  one 
from  the  north  going  farther  in  shore,  the  great  drops  of 
water  suggested  beaded  portieres.  Soon  after  a  rotary 
motion  was  developed,  the  pattering  drops  on  the  sea 
chasing  one  another  like  figures  in  a  "merry-go-round." 
The  decreasing  circle  advanced  rapidly  over  the  water  in 
our  direction,  apparently  stopping  directly  above  the  vessel 
when  a  proper  perspective  for  further  observation  seemed 
to  be  wanting. 

Six  inches  of  rain  fell  in  two  hours,  arousing  grave 
doubts  for  the  safety  of  the  Flamingos,  whose  nests,  always 
placed  in  the  semi -flooded  "swash",  would,  we  feared,  be 
flooded  by  this  downpour ;  but  we  tried  to  believe  that  the 
storm  had  not  reached  that  part  of  the  island. 

The  following  morning  our  voyage  was  resumed.  With 
Peter  calling  the  course  from  bow  or  rigging,  we  threaded 
narrow  channels  and  crossed  broad  flats,  when  tide  and 
wind  permitted  and,  at  the  end  of  three  days,  (we  were  now 
twelve  days  out  from  Miami),  anchored  and  in  a  small  boat 
continued  the  journey  in  water  too  shallow  for  the  schooner. 
Hours  of  rowing  up  endless  creeks,  flowing  through  a 
depressing  waste  of  marl  and  stubby  mangroves,  brought 


168  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

us  at  last  so  near  the  Flamingos '  home  that  we  beached  the 
boat  and  with  lowered  voices  proceeded  on  foot  through  the 
mud  and  over  the  sharp  coral  rock. 

The  rookery  lay  just  the  other  side  of  a  "coppet"  of 
bushes  and  low  trees.  I  approached  it  with  a  painful  feeling 
of  expectation ;  was  it  possible  that  within  a  minute  or  two 
the  vision  of  years  would  become  a  reality?  Should  I 
actually  see  a  thousand  or  more  red-feathered  forms  closely 
massed  in  one  glowing  bed  of  color,  building  their  nests,  in- 
cubating their  eggs,  or  even  feeding  their  young? 

One  whose  first  knowledge  of  the  glories  of  Flamingo 
life  is,  perhaps,  suggested  by  this  narrative,  probably  can- 
not fully  appreciate  the  abnormal  mental  condition  of  the 
naturalist  whose  instinctive  desires  have  been  sharpened  by 
years  of  longing  and  endeavor;  neither,  without  a  true 
understanding  of  the  situation,  could  one  measure  the 
unfathomable  depths  of  my  disappointment  when,  peering 
cautiously  through  the  vegetation,  I  saw  only  the  dreary 
swash  stretching  birdless  before  me. 

' i  You  aint  see  no  birds,  sir  "  ?  replied  Peter  to  my  inquiry 
for  the  rookery;  and  his  surprise  at  the  absence  of  the 
"  wastly  numerous  hos-tes,"  which  he  had  reported  as 
occupying  this  place  only  a  week  before,  almost  equaled  my 
discouragement  in  the  face  of  this  overwhelming  failure. 

Our  fears  were  realized.  The  deluge  of  four  days  before 
had  played  havoc  with  the  birds '  home.  Hundreds  of  nests 
were  submerged  or  washed  away,  and  eggs  were  stranded 
on  mud  bars  or  half  buried  in  oozy  marl.  The  birds  had 
disappeared ;  it  was  a  scene  of  utter  desolation.  In  view  of 
the  probability  that  other  colonies  of  Flamingos,  if  such 
existed,  had  suffered  similar  disaster,  it  seemed  useless  to 
attempt  further  search  in  this  quarter. 

Some  work  was  done  while  returning  to  Mangrove  Cay. 
Many  Flamingos  were  seen  and  painful  stalking  in  marl  to 
the  middle  resulted  in  securing  what  were  doubtless  the  best 
pictures  of  Flamingos  existing  at  that  time,  but  they  were 


THE  FLAMINGO  169 

too  far  from  those  hoped  for  to  afford  much  satisfaction. 

We  were  now  obliged  to  go  to  Nassau  to  replenish  our 
supplies  and  meet  the  steamer  from  New  York,  on  which 
Dr.  B.  E.  Dahlgren  was  coming  to  assist  Professor  Wheeler 
in  a  study  of  the  Andros  reef  and  Mrs.  Chapman  to  take  her 
usual  post  as  my  field  assistant.  In  the  meantime,  Peter 
was  dispatched  to  the  region  visited  in  1902,  and,  on  return- 
ing, our  joy  may  be  but  faintly  imagined  when,  boarding  the 
schooner  during  a  dark  and  stormy  night,  at  no  small  risk, 
he  reported  that  Flamingos  were  nesting  at  this  place  in 
unusually  large  numbers.  Being  on  slightly  higher  ground, 
they  had  apparently  not  been  affected  by  the  storm  of 
May  17. 

Wings  could  not  now  have  borne  us  to  the  scene  rapidly 
enough.  Professor  Wheeler  and  Dr.  Dahlgren  were  landed 
at  Mangrove  Cay  to  pursue  their  studies  of  marine  life, 
while  Mrs.  Chapman  and  I  set  sail  for  the  Flamingos' 
metropolis. 

For  the  first  time  since  leaving  Florida,  wind  and  tide 
favored  us.  A  distance  which,  on  a  former  voyage,  had 
consumed  four  days  was  now  covered  in  one,  and  the  next 
morning  we  reached  the  nearest  point  to  which  the  schooner 
could  approach  the  rookery.  Peter 's  assurance  that  it  was 
"not  too  berry  far,  sir,"  to  the  Flamingos,  convinced  us,  in 
the  light  of  past  experiences,  that  they  were  distant  at  least 
ten  miles,  possibly  more.  It  was  not  practicable,  therefore, 
to  go  and  return  the  same  day,  and  though  the  frequent 
rains  and  tempestuous  squalls  which  must  be  encountered 
were  not  the  weather  one  would  select  for  tent-life,  it  was 
evident  that  we  must  camp  near  the  rookery. 

Without  loss  of  time,  our  outfit  was  embarked  in  the 
schooner 's  two  boats  which,  with  two  of  the  crew  and  Peter, 
we  rowed  or  poled  against  the  wind,  and  dragged  over 
muddy  shoals  and  marly  bars  hour  after  hour,  until,  though 
coming  from  the  west,  we  arrived  at  an  islet  of  large  man- 
groves, occupied  by  Reddish  Egrets  and  Louisiana  Herons, 


170  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

which  I  recognized  as  a  landmark  we  had  reached  from  the 
eastern  side  of  the  island  in  1902.  Though  no  chart  showed 
the  route,  it  was  evident,  therefore,  that  Andros  could  here 
be  crossed  from  east  to  west.  Still  we  continued  and  when 
after  a  trying  day's  work  Peter  said  we  were  "there,"  we 
had  no  feeling  of  having  arrived  anywhere.  All  day  we  had 
been  following  broad,  shallow  creeks,  which,  meeting  other 
creeks,  widened  at  intervals  into  lagoons,  while,  on  every 
side,  the  country  spread  away  into  the  low,  flat  swash, 
neither  land  nor  water  and  wholly  worthless  for  everything 
— except  Flamingos.  So,  when  Peter  announced  that  our 
journey  was  ended,  we  looked  over  this  hopeless  country  in 
search  of  a  camp-site,  to  find  that  the  narrow,  somewhat 
sandy  shore  of  the  creek  was  the  only  available  place  where 
one  might  pitch  a  tent.  At  the  moment,  however,  we  were 
more  concerned  about  Flamingos  than  with  the  details  of 
camping.  When  for  the  second  time  I  asked  Peter,  "  But 
where  are  the  birds  ? "  he  replied,  ' '  Dere  dey  are,  sir, ' '  and 
pointed  across  the  swash  to  a  thin  pink  line,  distant  at  least 
a  mile,  but  showing  plainly  against  the  green  of  the  man- 
groves. Flamingos,  surely;  but  were  they  nesting!  We 
lost  no  time  in  speculation  but  started  at  once  to  investigate. 
Ten  minutes  wading  through  the  mud  and  shallow  water, 
brought  us  so  near  the  now  much  enlarged  pink  streak  that, 
with  a  glass,  the  birds  could  be  seen  unmistakably  seated  on 
their  conical  nests,  and  with  an  utterly  indescribable  feeling 
of  exultation,  we  advanced  rapidly  to  view  at  short  range 
this  wonder  of  wonders  in  bird-life. 

At  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  yards,  the  wind 
being  from  us,  toward  the  birds,  we  first  heard  their  honk- 
ing notes  of  alarm,  which  increased  to  a  wave  of  deep  sound. 
Soon  the  birds  began  to  rise,  standing  on  their  nests,  facing 
the  wind  and  waving  their  black,  vermillion-lined  wings.  As 
we  came  a  little  nearer,  in  stately  fashion  the  birds  began 
to  move ;  uniformly,  like  a  great  body  of  troops,  they  step- 
ped slowly  forward,  pinions  waving  and  trumpets  sounding, 


- 


-V 


'- 


172 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


and  then,  when  we  were  still  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
away,  the  leaders  sprang  into  the  air.  File  after  file  of  the 
winged  host  followed.  The  very  earth  seemed  to  erupt 
birds,  as  naming  masses  streamed  heavenward.  It  was  an 
appalling  sight.  One  of  the  boatmen  said,  it  looked  ' '  like 
hell, ' '  and  the  description  is  apt  enough  to  be  set  down  with- 
out impropriety. 


"  Close-set  mud  nests  each  with  its  single  white  egg  " 

The  birds  were  now  all  in  the  air.  At  the  time,  I  should 
have  said  that  there  were  at  least  four  thousand  of  them, 
but  a  subsequent  census  of  nests  showed  that  this  number 
should  be  halved.  This  was  a  tense  moment.  Knowing, 
through  many  disappointing  experiences,  how  excessively 
shy  Flamingos  are,  I  feared  that  even  the  lately  aroused 
parental  instinct  might  not  be  sufficient  to  hold  them  to 
their  homes  and  that,  after  all,  I  should  be  denied  the  fruits 
of  victory — the  privilege  of  studying  these  birds  on  their 
nesting  ground.  Imagine,  then,  a  relief  I  cannot  describe, 
when  the  birds,  after  flying  only  a  short  distance  to  wind- 
ward, turned  abruptly  and  with  set  wings  sailed  over  us,  a 
rushing,  fiery  cloud,  to  alight  in  a  lagoon  bordering  the 
western  edge  of  the  rookery. 

Soon  we  were  among  the  apparently  innumerable,  close- 


THE  FLAMINGO 


173 


"  Our  tent  was  stayed  to  ....  one  of  the  boats  " 

set  mud  nests  each  with  its  single  white  egg,  while  two  held 
newly  hatched  Flamingos !  Not  only  were  these  the  first 
young  Flamingos  ever  seen  in  the  nest  by  a  naturalist,  but 
their  presence  was  an  assurance  that  this  rookery  was  not 
composed  of  the  birds  whose  homes  had  been  flooded  by  the 
storm  of  May  17,  but  another  colony  and  one  which  had  not 
suffered  a  similar  catastrophe.  I  should  not  therefore  have 
to  wait  at  least  three  weeks  for  the  eggs  to  hatch,  but  had 
arrived  at  the  most  favorable  period  it  would  have  been 
possible  to  select. 

While  we  were  standing,  half  dazed  by  the  whole  experi- 
ence, the  army  of  birds  which  had  gathered  in  the  lagoon 
rose,  and  with  harsh  honkings  bore  down  on  us.  The  action 
was  startling.  The  birds  in  close  array  came  toward  us 
without  a  waver,  and  for  a  few  moments  one  might  well 
have  believed  they  were  about  to  attack ;  but  with  a  mighty 


174 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


roar  of  wings  and  clanging  of  horns,  they  passed  overhead, 
turned,  and  on  set  wings  again  shot  back  to  the  lagoon. 

On  every  one  of  the  hundreds  of  occasions  when,  in 
fancy,  I  had  entered  a  city  of  Flamingos,  I  had  devised 
some  plan  for  a  place  of  concealment  from  which  the  birds 
might  be  observed  and  photographed.  Should  they  occupy 


A  Composite  Picture  of  Blind  and  Flamingo  City 

a  site  on  a  flat  far  from  vegetation,  similar  to  that  of  the 
abandoned  rookery  visited  in  1902, 1  had  proposed  to  sink  a 
barrel  in  the  marl,  fringing  it  about  with  small  mangroves ; 
but  should  the  growth  be  near  enough,!  had  decided  to  place 
my  umbrella-blind  in  the  bushes.  But  the  sight  of  the  birds 
over  the  swash,  as  we  landed,  had  banished  from  my  mind 
every  thought  but  the  desire  to  know  whether  they  were 
nesting ;  the  blind  was  forgotten,  and  fearing  now  to  keep 
them  too  long  from  their  homes,  I  erected  around  a  small 
bush,  some  thirty  feet  from  the  border  of  the  rookery,  a 
shield  of  branches  behind  which  the  blind  might  be  placed 
the  following  day. 

We  now  returned  to  the  boats,  seeing,  with  immense  sat- 


176 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


isfaction,  the  Flamingos  go  back  to  their  nests  when  we 
were  but  half  across  the  swash.  The  claim  had  been  located ; 
it  promised  nuggets  at  every  step,  and  our  next  move  was 
to  prepare  to  work  it.  I  have  never  camped  in  a  less  suit- 
able place,  but  if  we  had  been  beneath  hemlocks  with  a 
dashing  mountain  stream  at  our  threshhold,  we  could  not 
have  pitched  our  tent  more  cheerfully.  At  once  it  was  dis- 


r 
/< 


k 


"With  legs  and  necks  fully  outstretched  " 

covered  that  the  sand  barely  covered  the  limestone.  To 
drive  a  tent-pin  effectively  was  out  of  the  question,  and  our 
tent  was  stayed  to  roots  and  bushes  and  to  one  of  the  boats, 
which  was  hauled  ashore  to  windward,  as  an  anchor  f  or 
both  tent  and  fly.  Incidentally,  it  proved  a  capital  tank. 
The  daily  rains  (we  had  over  twenty  inches  during  the 
month)  soon  filled  it,  and  beyond  a  few  gallons  brought 
from  the  schooner,  it  provided  the  only  and  an  unlimited 
supply  of  fresh  water  during  the  eight  days  we  were  in 
camp. 

The  prospects  of  the  morrow  were  fatal  to  sleep,  and  at 


178 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


an  early  hour  preparations  were  made  for  the  second 
invasion  of  the  rookery.  As  with  blind  and  cameras  we 
now  approached,  the  birds  left  their  nests  with  the  same  or- 
derly sequence  of  movement  shown  the  preceding  afternoon, 
gathering  in  a  densely  massed  flock  in  the  lagoon.  The 
blind  was  quickly  set  in  the  place  arranged  for  it,  and  hung 
with  mangrove  branches  and  palmetto  leaves.  I  entered  it 
and  Mrs.  Chapman  at  once  started  for  camp. 


"  A  dozen  yellow-eyed  birds  at  my  threshold  " 

This  was  a  moment  of  supreme  interest.  Would  the 
birds  return  to  their  nests,  the  nearest  of  which  were  about 
thirty  feet  from  me,  or  would  the  blind  arouse  their  sus- 
picions 1  Twice  they  rose  in  a  body  and  swept  over  the 
rookery,  each  time  alighting  again  in  the  lagoon.  It  was  a 
reconnoissance  in  force,  with  evidently  satisfactory  results. 
No  signs  of  danger  were  detected  in  the  rookery,  and,  in  the 
absence  of  ability  to  count,  the  retreat  of  one  figure  across 


THE  FLAMINGO  179 

the  swash  was  as  reassuring  as  the  approach  of  two  figures 
had  been  alarming. 

Without  further  delay,  the  birds  returned  to  their 
homes.  They  came  on  foot,  a  great  red  cohort,  marching 
steadily  toward  me.  I  felt  like  a  spy  in  an  enemy's  camp. 
Might  not  at  least  one  pair  of  the  nearly  four  thousand  eyes 
detect  something  unnatural  in  the  newly  grown  bush  almost 
within  their  city  gates  ?  No  sign  of  alarm,  however,  was 
shown ;  without  confusion,  and  as  if  trained  to  the  evolution, 
the  birds  advanced  with  stately  tread  to  their  nests.  There 
was  a  bowing  of  a  forest  of  slender  necks  as  each  bird  light- 
ly touched  its  egg  or  nest  with  its  bill ;  then,  all  talking 
loudly,  they  stood  up  on  their  nests ;  the  black  wings  were 
waved  for  a  moment,  and  bird  after  bird  dropped  forward 
upon  its  egg.  After  a  vigorous,  wriggling  motion,  designed 
evidently  to  bring  the  egg  into  close  contact  with  the  skin, 
the  body  was  still,  but  the  long  neck  and  head  were  for  a 
time  in  constant  motion,  preening,  picking  material  at  the 
base  of  the  nest,  dabbling  in  a  near-by  puddle,  or  perhaps 
drinking  from  it.  Occasionally  a  bird  sparred  with  one  of 
the  three  or  four  neighbors  which  were  within  reach,  when, 
bill  grasping  bill,  there  ensued  a  brief  and  harmless  test  of 
strength. 

In  some  instances  a  bird  was  seen  adding  to  a  nest  in 
which  an  egg  had  already  been  deposited.  Standing  on  the 
nest,  it  would  drag  up  mud  from  the  base  with  its  bill,  which 
was  then  used  to  press  the  fresh  material  into  place.  The 
feet  were  also  of  service  in  treading  down  the  soft,  marly 
clay. 

The  nests  at  this  side  of  the  rookery  were  below  the 
average  in  size.  Few  of  them  reached  a  height  of  eight 
inches,  while  nests  in  the  older  part  of  this  city  of  huts 
measured  thirteen  inches  in  height,  with  a  diameter  of  four- 
teen inches  at  the  top  and  twenty- two  at*  the  bottom.  The 
depression  forming  the  nest  proper  was  never  more  than  an 
inch  in  depth,  and  was  without  lining  of  any  kind. 


180 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


After  watching  a  nesting  colony  of  Flamingos  in  the 
Bahamas  for  "nearly  an  hour",  at  a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards,  Sir  Henry  Blake  stated  that  the 
females  sat  upon  the  nests  while  the  males  stood  up 
together,  evidently  near  by.  My  dissections,  however, 
showed  that  both  sexes  incubate,  while  continued  observa- 
tion from  the  tent  revealed  the  presence  of  only  one  bird  of 


The  Blind  in  the  Rookery 

the  pair  in  the  rookery  at  the  same  time.  The  bird  on  the 
nest  was  relieved  late  in  the  afternoon  and  early  in  the 
morning.  The  one,  therefore,  which  incubated  during  the 
day,  fed  at  night,  and  his  or  her  place  was  taken  by  another 
which  had  been  feeding  during  the  day.  Or  as  Peter  put  it : 
"I  do  t'ink,  sir,  dat  when  de  lady  Fillymingo  leave  de  nest, 
den  de  gen  'leman  Fillymingo  take  her  place,  sir ;  yes,  sir. ' ' 
Morning  and  evening,  then,  there  was  much  activity  in 


THE  FLAMINGO 


181 


the  rookery.  Single  birds,  or  files  of  as  many  as  fifty,  were 
almost  constantly  arriving  and  departing,  coming  from  and 
radiating  to  every  point  of  the  compass. 

Flamingos  in  flight  resemble  no  other  bird  known  to  me. 
With  legs  and  neck  fully  outstretched,  and  the  comparative- 
ly small  wings  set  half-way  between  bill  and  toes,  they  look 


as  if  they  might  fly  backward  or  forward  with  equal  ease. 
They  progress  more  rapidly  than  a  Heron,  and,  when  hur- 
ried, fly  with  a  singular  serpentine  motion  of  the  neck  and 
body,  as  if  they  were  crawling  in  the  air. 

As  noon  approached,  the  birds  disposed  themselves  for 
sleep.  The  long  necks  were  arranged  in  sundry  coils  and 
curves,  the  heads  tucked  snugly  beneath  the  feathers  of  the 
back,  and,  for  the  first  time,  there  was  silence  in  the  red  city. 
Suddenly — one  could  never  tell  whence  it  came — the  honk- 
ing alarm-note  was  given.  Instantly,  and  with  remarkable 
effect,  the  snake-like  necks  shot  up  all  over  the  glowing  bed 
of  color  before  me,  transforming  it  into  a  writhing  mass  of 


182  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

flaming  serpents ;  then,  as  the  alarm-note  continued  and  was 
taken  up  by  a  thousand  throats,  the  birds,  like  a  vast  con- 
gregation, with  dignified  precision  of  movement,  gravely 
arose,  pressing  their  bills  into  the  nests  to  assist  them- 
selves. 

Under  circumstances  of  this  kind  the  birds  rarely  left 
their  nests,  and  it  was  difficult  to  determine  the  cause  of 


Photographic  Evidence  that  the  Flamingo  Does   Net  "  Straddle  "  the  Nest 
The  birds  in  the  background  are  sparring 

their  alarm.  Often,  doubtless,  it  was  baseless,  but  at  times 
it  was  due  to  a  circling  Turkey  Vulture,  the  gaunt  ogre  of 
Plamingodom,  which,  in  the  absence  of  the  parent  birds,  is 
said  to  eat  not  only  eggs  but  nestlings.  Possibly  some  slight 
sound  from  my  tent,  where,  with  ill-controlled  excitement,  I 
was  making  photograph  after  photograph,  may  have  occas- 
ioned the  deep-voiced,  warning  huh-huh-huh. 

I  had  so  often  fruitlessly  stalked  these  wary  birds  across 
the  swash,  that  I  was  tempted  to  step  out  from  my  blind  and 
address  a  word  of  triumph  to  the  assembled  multitude ;  but 
so  sudden  an  alarm  might  not  only  have  caused  the  destruc- 


THE  FLAMINGO 


183 


Newly  Hatched  Flamingo 


Flooded  Xests 
Showing  the  necessity  of  raising  the  nest  above  the  normal  water-level 


184  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

tion  of  many  eggs,  but  might  have  resulted  in  the  birds  de- 
serting their  homes.  Consequently,  several  hours  after 
entering  the  blind,  Mrs.  Chapman,  by  arrangement, 
returned ;  the  birds  retreated  to  the  lagoon,  and  I  left  my 
hiding  place  without  their  being  the  wiser. 

Encouraged  by  this  sur- 
prisingly successful  at- 
tempt to  study  these  wary 
birds  at  close  range,  I  de- 
termined to  enter  the  very 
heart  of  the  city.  Conse- 
quently, when,  at  our  ap- 
proach the  following  morn- 
ing, the  birds  left  their 
nests,  the  blind  was  hur- 
riedly moved,  from  its  po- 

.   .     J  Swam  rapidly  away  " 

sition  at  the  border  of  the 

rookery  to  a  point  near  its  center,  where  a  buttonwood  bush 

afforded  it  some  concealment. 

Nests  were  now  within  arm 's  reach ;  the  blind  itself  cov- 
ered an  abandoned  one.  It  seemed  wholly  beyond  the 
bounds  of  probability  that  the  birds  would  take  their  places 
so  near  me ;  but,  as  before,  the  departure  of  my  assistant 
was  the  signal  to  advance.  The  great  red  army  with  clang- 
ing of  horns,  again  approached,  reached,  and  this  time  sur- 
rounded me.  I  was  engulfed  in  color  and  clarionings.  The 
wildest  imagination  could  not  have  conceived  of  so  thrilling 
an  experience.  Seated  on  the  deserted  nest,  I  myself  seemed 
to  have  become  a  Flamingo. 

The  blind,  strange  to  say,  aroused  no  suspicion.  With- 
out hesitation  and  with  evident  recognition  of  their  home, 
the  splendid  creatures  reoccupied  their  nests.  For  a  time  I 
feared  detection.  It  was  impossible  to  look  from  the  blind 
in  any  direction  without  seeming  to  meet  the  glance  of  a 
dozen  yellow-eyed  birds  at  my  threshold.  Fortunately,  the 
uproar  of  their  united  voices  was  so  great  that  the  various 


THE  FLAMINGO  185 

sounds  made  in  the  manipulation  of  my  two  cameras  were 
barely  audible  even  to  my  ears.  With  the  wind  in  the  right 
quarter,  this  honking  chorus  could  be  plainly  heard  at  our 
camp.  The  adults  uttered  three  distinct  calls,  all  goose- 
like  in  character.  The  usual  note  of  the  young  bird  is  a 
whistling  crow. 


Brooding  and  Feeding 

The  birds  of  this  portion  of  the  rookery  had  evidently 
begun  to  nest  at  an  earlier  date  than  those  in  the  section 
before  visited.  Many  of  the  nests  contained  an  egg  from 
which  the  chick  was  emerging,  and  in  others  were  young 
evidently  several  days  old ;  while  birds  which  had  left  the 
nest  were  running  about  with  their  parents. 

On  leaving  the  shell,  and  before  the  plumage  was  dry, 
some  chicks  had  sufficient  strength  to  respond  to  their  evi- 
dently instinctive  sense  of  fear.  At  my  approach  they 
crawled  to  the  edge  of  the  nest  and  dropped  over  to  the 
ground  or  water  below,  though  beyond  this  they  could  pro- 
gress but  little.  Chicks  a  day  old  jumped  nimbly  from  the 


186 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


Young  Flamingo  Eating  Egg-shell 

nest  and  ran  or  swam  rapidly  away.  On  subsequent  days,  it 
became  necessary  to  enter  my  blind  with  caution,  to  avoid 
frightening  the  young  in  the  near-by  nests.  At  the  best, 
some  would  leave  their  homes  and  scurry  away,  but  they 
returned  to  the  place  of  their  birth  apparently  in  response 
to  a  call  uttered  by  the  parent  as  it  stood  on  or  near  the 
deserted  nest.  The  little  chick  reached  the  top  of  the  nest 
unaided  by  the  parent  bird,  using  its  bill,  feet,  and  wings 
in  the  effort.  The  thumb  and.  index  finger  are  both  provided 
with  a  somewhat  recurved  nail,  which  in  this  connection 
may  be  functional.  The  parents  evidently  recognized  their 
own  offspring,  and  when  a  youngster  lost  his  way,  his  nape 
was  promptly  pinched  by  every  old  bird  within  whose  reach 


THE  FLAMINGO 


187 


he  came,  a  method  which  was  effective  in  keeping  him  on 
the  move  until  he  found  his  own  home. 

The  young  stay  in  the  nest  until  they  are  three  or  four 
days  old.  During  this  time  they  are  brooded  by  the  parents, 
one  or  the  other  of  which  is  always  in  attendance.  With  a 
bill  as  large  as  their  nestling's  body,  it  was  of  special  inter- 


Young  Flamingo  Returning  to  the  Nest 

est  to  observe  how  the  latter  would  be  fed.  The  operation  | 
is  admirably  shown  in  the  colored  frontispiece.  What,  in 
effect,  is  regurgitated  clam  broth,  is  taken  drop  by  drop 
from  the  tip  of  the  parent's  bill.  At  times  the  bird, 
standing  above  its  chick,  leans  over  and  feeds  it,  or  while 
brooding,  a  snowy  head  is  pushed  out  from  a  vermilion 
wing,  and  with  a  swan-like  movement  the  neck  is  gracefully 
curved  as  the  food  is  administered. 

This  is  the  young  bird's  first  meal.  His  next  attempts  at 
eating  are  of  special  interest.  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
bill  in  a  newly  hatched  Flamingo  bears  small  resemblance 


188 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


• 


The  bill  shows  first  signs  of  convexity 


"  The  bird  now  feeds  after  the  singular  manner  of  the  adult " 


THE  FLAMINGO 


189 


i  o  the  singular,  decurved  organ  of  the  adult.  In  the  chick 
the  bill  is  short  and  straight,  with  no  hint  of  future  curva- 
ture ;  and  at  this  stage  of  its  existence  the  bird  feeds  in  a 
manner  wholly  unlike  that  employed  by  the  old  birds.  It 
picks  up  its  food.  The  second  meal,  then,  consists  of  bits  of 
the  egg-shell  whence  the  chick  has  lately  emerged.  This 
bone-forming  matter  evidently  now  takes  the  place  of  the 
Cerithium  shells  which  the  parents  seem  to  find  essential  to 
their  well-being. 


Young  Flamingos  Feeding  Each  Other 

When  the  bird  is  about  three  weeks  old,  the  bill  first 
shows  signs  of  convexity,  and  the  bird  now  feeds  after  the 
singular  manner  of  the  adult,  standing  on  its  head,  as  it 
were,  the  maxilla,  or  upper  half  of  the  bill,  being  nearly 
parallel  with  the  ground.  Contrary  to  the  rule  among  birds 
the  lower  portion  of  the  bill  is  immovable,  but  the  upper 
portion,  moving  rapidly,  forces  little  jets  of  water  from 
each  side  of  the  base  of  the  bill,  washing  out  the  sand  and  the 
mud  through  the  strainers  with  which  the  sides  of  the  bill 


190  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

are  beset,  and  leaving  the  shells  on  which  the  bird  subsists. 
Or,  as  Peter  expressed  it:  "It  seems  to  me,  sir,  when  de 
Fillymingo  feed  dat  de  upper  lip  do  all  de  wuk,  sir,  when  he 
chomp,  chomp,  chomp,  and  grabble  in  de  mud. ' ' 

Young  Flamingos,  taken  from  the  rookery  for  further 
study,  subsequently  gave  an  apparently  instinctive  exhibit 
of  a  characteristic  habit  of  the  adult  bird  when  feeding.  As 
I  have  said,  the  old  birds  live  on  a  small  spiral  shell  and 
its  contents.  This  food  is  always  obtained  under  water 
which  may  reach  to  the  bird's  body.  When  the  shells  are 
apparently  embedded  in  the  marl,  the  feeding  bird  loosens 
them  by  a  treading  motion.  It  is  the  Flamingos '  one  undig- 
nified action.  Birds  thus  occupied  seem  to  be  engaged  in 
some  ridiculous  kind  of  jig,  which  they  dance  with  the  head 
and  neck  submerged. 

Exactly  the  same  performance  was  indulged  in  by  the 
young  bird,  which,  when  given  a  pan  of  rice  and  water,  soon 
danced  the  rice  from  off  the  bottom  in  order  that  it  might  be 
more  readily  secured. 

The  routine  of  camp  life  was  now  definitely  established. 
The  mornings  were  passed  in  the  blind,  the  afternoons  in 
the  preparation  of  specimens,  and  the  evenings  were  given 
to  the  interminable  task  of  refilling  plate-holders. 

Daily  squalls  threatened  to  blow  our  poorly  stayed  tent 
into  the  creek,  and  continued  rains  rapidly  decreased  the 
extent  of  visible  land  about  us.  Nevertheless,  we  were  not 
unduly  inconvenienced  by  the  weather. 

The  Flamingos  were  less  fortunate.  The  evidently 
excessive  rainfall  had  flooded  even  the  comparatively  high 
ground  on  which  their  rookery  was  placed.  Some  nests 
were  submerged,  (my  own  particular  nest  had  already 
crumbled  before  the  unaccustomed  usage  to  which  it  had 
been  subjected),  'and  all  were  surrounded  by  water.  The 
necessity  of  erecting  a  structure  of  some  height  was  thus 
plainly  demonstrated. 

This  second  catastrophe  to  a  nesting  colony  emphasized 


THE  FLAMINGO  191 

the  adverse  climatic  conditions  with  which  Flamingos  have 
to  contend  during  the  nesting  season.  Laying  but  one  egg, 
it  is  probable  that  under  favorable  circumstances  they  can 
barely  hold  their  own,  and  it  is  therefore  to  be  deplored  that 
man  should  be  numbered  among  their  enemies. 

To  my  regret,  our  search  for  Flamingos  so  widely  adver- 
tised the  location  of  the  rookery  among  the  negroes  of  the 
island,  that  more  than  a  dozen  expeditions  were  planned  to 
visit  it  for  young  birds. 

Fresh  meat  is  rarer  than  pink  pearls  in  the  outer  Baha- 
ma islands.  Young  Flamingos  are  excellent  eating,  and  are, 
consequently,  much  sought  after.  As  a  result  of  this  perse- 
cution on  the  nesting-ground,  they  are  steadily  diminishing 
in  numbers. 

At  this  time  neither  they,  nor  any  other  Bahaman  bird 
was  protected  by  law,  and  I  take  no  small  pleasure  in  saying 
that  when  this  matter  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
proper  authorities,  an  adequate  bill  was  prepared  and 
passed  at  the  next  session  of  the  colonial  legislature. 

Our  camp  site  was  now  barely  habitable,  and  it  became 
obvious  that  if  the  rains  continued  we  should  soon  be  afloat. 
Confidence  in  the  life-preserving  qualities  of  our  pneumatic 
mattresses,  permitted  us  to  sleep  undismayed  by  the  lap, 
lap,  of  waters  at  our  threshold ;  but  more  valuable,  almost, 
than  life  itself,  were  our  photographic  plates  and  specimens, 
and  it  was  therefore  determined  to  break  camp  and  return 
to  the  schooner.  In  spite  of  the  disagreeable  surroundings, 
the  swash  was  left  reluctantly.  My  work,  however,  was 
virtually  ended.  I  had  enjoyed  an  experience  unparalleled 
in  the  annals  of  ornithology,  had  made  twelve  dozen  photo- 
graphs and  pages  of  detailed  notes,  and  had  secured  mater- 
ial adequate  to  represent  the  home  life  of  Flamingos  in  a 
group,  to  be  exhibited  in  the  Museum  which  had  intrusted 
me  with  this  mission  to  a  little-known  country. 


THE  EGG  BIRDS 

Throughout  the  Bahamas  the  name  ' '  Egg-bird ' '  is  ap- 
plied to  the  Sooty,  Bridled,  and  Noddy  Terns.  The  latter 
part  of  April  these  birds  come  in  large  numbers  to  certain 
regularly  frequented  keys  to  breed.  If  their  resort  be  near 
a  settlement  they  are  robbed  of  their  eggs  by  its  inhabitants. 
In  Nassau,  I  have  seen  many  of  them  offered  for  sale  on  the 
street,  each  one  with  the  shell  punctured  as  a  guarantee 
that  one  was  not  buying  a  Tern.  If  they  are  remote  from 
human  habitation,  they  are  generally  preyed  upon  by  the 
cruising  spongers  to  whose  scanty  bill-of-fare  fresh  eggs  are 
an  eagerly  sought  addition.  Doubtless  there  are  but  few  col- 
onies of  Terns  in  the  Bahamas  that  do  not  contribute  to  the 
food  supply  of  the  usually  hungry  native,  hence  the  current 
name  Egg-bird.  Efforts  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  law  pro- 
hibiting the  taking  of  the  eggs  of  these  birds  has  failed,  and, 
sentiment  aside,  provided  they  are  permitted  to  breed  and 
their  numbers  therefore  not  decreased,  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  in  a  country  of  such  limited  food  products,  this 
source  of  supply  should  not  be  drawn  upon. 

On  May  11, 1902,  when  the  "Estrella"  dropped  anchor 
off  the  Washerwoman  Keys,  we  found  that  the  Egg-birds 
had  evidently  been  in  possession  for  more  than  a  week,  since 
all  three  species  were  incubating  their  eggs. 

After  a  wide  experience  in  colonies  of  Common  Terns, 
where  every  bird  is  up  in  the  air  screaming  a  harsh  protest 
before  you  put  foot  on  the  island,  it  was  pleasant  to  be  met 
at  our  landing-place  by  groups  of  Noddies  which,  with  no 
trace  of  the  nervousness  so  characteristic  of  our  northern 
Terns,  regarded  us  calmly  almost  at  arm's  length.  When 
they  did  fly  they  were  comparatively  silent  uttering  infre- 
quently a  low  reedy  cack,  cack,  which  at  times  increased  to 
a  rolling,  guttural  k-r-r-r-r. 


THE  EGG  BIRDS 


193 


Bird  photography  with  such  willing  subjects  became  as 
simple  as  the  photographing  of  nest  and  eggs  alone ;  while 
Fuertes  found  sitters  who  seemed  to  appreciate  the  honor  of 
being  immortalized  by  his  pencil. 


Noddy  Terns 

"  Regarded  us  calmly  almost  at  arm's  length  " 

It  is  the  normal  habit  of  the  Noddy  to  build  a  crude  plat- 
form-nest of  twigs  with  a  few  pebbles  or  shells,  on  top  of 
the  bushes.  Many  birds  on  Washerwoman  Key  had  con- 
structed such  a  dwelling,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  laid 
on  the  ground  under  the  dense  thickets,  and  built  no  nest 
at  all. 

Possibly  the  ground-nesting  habit  is  a  result  of  the  per- 
secution by  negro  spongers  to  which  the  birds  have  long 
been  subjected.  The  birds  which  nested  on  top  of  the  bushes 
were  far  more  likely  to  be  robbed  than  those  which  deposited 
their  eggs  on  the  ground  on  rocks  below,  and  the  birds  with 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


Noddy  Nesting  on  the  Ground 


THE  EGG  BIRDS 


195 


the  terrestrial  nesting  habit  have  therefore  been  more  suc- 
cessful in  perpetuating  their  kind. 

While  the  extreme  tameness  of  the  Noddies  is  no  doubt 
in  part  due  to  their  comparative  isolation  and  would  proba- 
bly disappear  with  increasing  contact  with  man,  it  is  appar- 
ently to  be  attributed  more  to  temperament  than  to  environ- 


Sooty  Tern  on  Nest 

ment.  The  Sooty  Tern  was  much  shyer  than  the  Noddy, 
while  the  Bridled  Tern  was  nearly  if  not  quite  as  wild  as  our 
Common  Tern  though  all  three  species,  so  far  as  man  is 
concerned,  are  subjected  to  exactly  the  same  conditions. 

The  Sooty  Terns  were  more  numerous  than  the  Noddies. 
They  invariably  laid  on  the  ground,  generally  under  the 
bushes,  making  no  attempt  at  nest-building  other  than  a 
slight  hollow  in  the  earth  when  circumstances  permitted. 
The  Sooties  were  more  common  at  the  northern,  Noddies  at 
the  southern  end  of  the  key,  where,  however,  both  species 
nested  under  the  bushes  more  or  less  closely  associated. 


196  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

The  Sooty 's  common  flight  note  is  a  squeaky  quack  and  a 
clearly  enunciated,  high  pitched  ker-tvacky-wack.  Nesting 
birds  when  disturbed  uttered  a  sharp  barking  note,  chang- 
ing to  a  long-drawn,  aggressive  squawk,  suggesting  the 
notes  of  an  annoyed  brooding  hen.  Indeed,  as  one  crawled 


Noddy  in  Flight 

through  the  more  or  less  open  spaces  beneath  the  bushes 
with  birds  protesting  or  retreating,  one  seemed  to  have  in- 
vaded a  densely  populated  hen-yard. 

As  the  only  Tern  with  a  rounded,  instead  of  forked  tail, 
the  Noddy  might  be  expected  to  differ  in  flight  from  other 
members  of  its  family.  In  fact,  it  suggested,  when  in  the 
air,  a  light-bodied,  long-winged,  long-tailed  Pigeon.  They  fly 
rapidly,  never  hovering  with  the  Sooties,  and  they  were 
often  seen  pursuing  each  other  high  in  the  air  in  what  were 
doubtless  mating  flights. 

Sooty  Terns  in  flight  are  much  like  Common  Terns 
and,  when  alarmed,  they  have  the  Common  Tern's  habit  of 
hanging  in  the  air  above  their  nests.  Because  of  their  com- 
parative tameness  and  of  the  steadiness  of  the  easterly 
trade  wind,  an  admirable  opportunity  was  presented  to  ob- 
serve these  birds  in  the  air  at  close  range.  So  even  was  the 
breeze  that  the  birds,  all  facing  it,  seemed  to  be  suspended 


THE  EGG  BIRDS  197 

and  motionless.  There  was,  in  truth,  but  little  change  in 
their  position,  but  it  was  maintained  by  constant  adjustment 
to  the  slight  variations  in  the  force  and  direction  of  the 
wind.  Wings  were  raised  or  lowered,  widely  spread  or  part- 
ly closed ;  tails  depressed  or  slightly  elevated,  and  fan-like, 
opened  or  shut.  In  short,  there  was  a  ceaseless  if  uncon- 
scious effort  on  the  part  of  the  birds  to  maintain  the  bal- 
ance between  gravity  acting  in  one  direction,  and  air  pres- 
sure in  another,  and  so  well  did  they  succeed  that  it  was  a 
common  sight  to  see  one  put  its  foot  through  its  inner  wing- 
feathers  and  scratch  its  ear  with  as  much  ease  as  though  it 
had  been  on  its  nest. 


Sooty  Tern  Facing  the  Trade  Wind 

Man,  taking  the  Tern  as  a  model,  can  duplicate  its  lines 
and  its  area  of  wing  expanse  to  weight,  but  who  will  endow 
his  creation  of  wood,  and  wire,  and  canvas  with  nerves,  mus- 
cles, and  reflexes,  which  will  enable  it  to  encounter  auto- 
matically and  with  unfailing  precision,  the  incomparably 
unstable  element  in  which  it  is  designed  to  travel? 

The  Bridled  Terns  were  the  least  common  of  the  three 
species  on  the  key  in  question ;  but  half  a  mile  or  more  to  the 
south,  on  a  newer  key,  several  hundred  were  nesting.  In  gen- 
eral habits  they  are  like  the  Sooty  Tern,  but  their  nest-sites 
are  more  commonly  beneath  a  rock  or  in  one  of  the  innumer- 


198 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


able  holes  or  pockets  of  the  water-worn  limestone.  In  con- 
formance  to  the  law  that  southern  birds  lay  a  smaller  num- 
ber of  eggs  than  northern  members  of  the  same  family,  the 
Noddy,  Sooty,  and  Bridled  Terns  each  lay  but  a  single  egg, 
while  the  Common,  Forster's  Eoseate,  Arctic,  and  Least 
Terns  lay  three. 

The  Bridled  and  Sooty  Terns  resemble  each  other  so 
closely  (it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them  in  life)  that  a  com- 
parative study  of  their  habits  would  be  of  especial  interest. 


Young  Audubon's  Shearwater 

We,  however,  were  too  anxious  to  continue  our  search  for 
Flamingos  to  devote  much  time  to  Terns,  and  our  two  days 
in  the  Washerwoman  Keys  gave  us  opportunity  for  only  the 
most  casual  inspection  of  their  bird-life. 

Large  numbers  of  Audubon  's  Shearwaters  were  nesting 
on  this  and  the  neighboring  keys,  but  without  the  assistance 
of  Mr.  Bonhote  's  Irish  setter  we  should  have  been  unaware 
of  their  presence,  by  day,  at  least.  Toby  quickly  learned  to 
distinguish  the  peculiar  Shearwater  odor,  and  when  the  site 
permitted,  dislodgement  of  the  rocks  at  which  he  pointed 
was  sure  to  be  followed  by  the  discovery  of  a  Shearwater, 
either  male  or  female,  squatting  on  its  egg  or  by  its  downy 


THE  EGG  BIRDS  199 

young.  The  birds  never  attempted  to  fly,  but  would  run 
away  under  the  vegetation  or  into  another  hole  in  the  rocks. 
During  the  day  no  Shearwaters  were  seen  near  the  key, 
though  they  were  not  infrequently  observed  at  a  distance 
flying  rapidly  and  scaling  low  over  the  water ;  but  at  night, 
when  the  Terns  had  become  comparatively  quiet,  the  un- 
canny see-saw  cries  of  the  Shearwaters  made  the  keys 
actually  noiser  than,  when  the  Terns  were  not  disturbed, 
they  were  by  day. 


Audubon's  Shearwater  Leaving  Nest 


THE  BOOBY  AND  THE    MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 

On  March  28,  1907,  with  Dr.  Alfred  G.  Mayer  in  com- 
mand, and  George  Shiras,  3d.,  I  sailed  from  Miami  for  Cay 
Verde?  some  thirty  miles  east  of  the  Ragged  Islands,  to  se- 
cure studies  and  material  for  a  group  of  the  Boobies  (Sula 
leucogastra)  and  Man-o'-War  Birds  which  were  reported  to 
breed  there.  We  were  aboard  the  ' '  Physalia, ' '  a  56-foot 
ketch,  with  a  20-horse-power  engine,  belonging  to  the  Marine 
Biological  Laboratory  of  the  Carnegie  Institution,  which 
Dr.  Mayer,  the  Director  of  the  Laboratory,  after  establish- 
ing a  temporary  laboratory  at  Nassau,  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Museum  for  the  proposed  trip. 

In  reassuring  contrast  to  our  equipment  on  the 
"Gloria",  we  now  had  every  desirable  chart  of  the  Baha- 
mas, and  employed  a  pilot  whenever  we  entered  unknown 
waters.  At  sunset  we  passed  through  the  narrow  cut  be- 
tween Gun  Cay  and  Cat  Cay  and  came  to  anchor  for  the 
night.  The  following  morning  we  got  under  way  at  half  past 
three  and,  using  the  engine  in  the  face  of  light  head  winds, 
reached  the  so-called  "Northwest  Passage"  at  two  o'clock, 
and  dropped  anchor  in  Nassau  harbor  at  midnight.  For- 
tunately we  did  not  know  this  was  to  be  not  only  our  best, 
but  virtually  our  only  good  day's  run  during  the  month 
which  our  expedition  required. 

It  was  ten  o  'clock  the  next  morning  before  the  health  offi- 
cer of  the  port,  for  whom  we  were  obliged  to  send  a  messen- 
ger, examined  our  papers  and  permitted  us  to  land.  But  in 
marked  contrast  to  this  leisurely  way  of  doing  business — 
which  on  a  former  occasion  kept  us  aboard  our  boat  from 
four  in  the  afternoon  until  the  following  morning— the  Gov- 
ernor, Sir  William  Grey- Wilson,  promptly  consented  to 
grant  the  permit  which,  in  accordance  with  the  law  passed 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


201 


after  the  intercession  for  protection  of  Flamingos,  was  now 
required  before  the  specimens  I  desired  could  be  taken  le- 
gally. As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  statute  read  ' '  the  Governor 
in  Council  may  grant, ' '  etc.,  and  we  esteemed  it  a  rare  exam- 
ple of  official  courtesy  and  good  judgment,  that  rather  than 
hold  us  over  Sunday  until  the  Council  could  be  assembled, 
we  were  permitted  to  depart,  leaving  the  permit  to  be  issued 
in  our  absence. 


The  "  Physalia  " 

On  March  31,  therefore,  we  left  Nassau  for  Cay  Verde, 
distant  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  The  air  was  absolute- 
ly calm ;  the  water  of  mirror-like  smoothness  and  as  clear  as 
a  lens,  revealing,  with  astonishing  distinctness,  even 
grains  of  sand  at  a  depth  of  four  and  five  fathoms. 

The  Bahaman  Banks,  except  at  their  margins,  might  be 
called  the  deserts  of  the  sea.  The  water  is  so  shallow  that 
the  heavy  seas  quickly  raise  what  may  be  termed  a  sand 


202  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

storm,  which  prevents  the  growth  of  such  forms  of  life  as 
flourish  on  the  reefs.  Hence,  the  bottom  is  usually  as  clean 
and  smooth  as  a  sanded  floor.  Fish,  finding  neither  food  nor 
hiding-places,  are  rare,  and  for  the  first-named  reason,  birds 
are  wanting.  I  have  sailed  for  days  over  the  Banks  with- 
out seeing  so  much  as  a  Tern. 

After  running  for  forty  miles  under  power,  we  anchored 
off  Norman  Key — where  an  hour  or  two  ashore  resulted  in 
the  observation  of  the  common  key  birds — the  Bahaman 
Mockingbird,  Vireo  (V.  crassirostris),  and  Honey  Creeper, 
which  was  nesting,  together  with  a  singing  Catbird  (Galeos- 
coptes),  a  species  which  was  also  found  in  song  in  Nassau. 
The  beach  was  marked  with  tracks,  probably  of  the  Yellow- 
crowned  Night  Heron,  which  occurs  frequently  on  even  the 
smallest  keys,  running  about  under  the  dense,  scrubby  veg- 
etation, more  like  a  Eail  than  a  Heron. 

April  1  threatened  to  end  the  cruise.  Six  hours '  beating 
against  a  strong  southwest  wind  having  yielded  only  eight 
miles,  we  came  to  anchor  under  Elbers  Key,  which,  although 
only  a  few  hundred  yards  long,  gave  us  some  protection. 
The  surf  on  the  southern  side  of  the  key  was  magnificent, 
the  now  heavy  seas  striking  the  jagged  limestone  as  they 
would  a  breakwater  and  throwing  white  masses  of 'water  in- 
to the  air  with  the  force  and  effect  of  a  submarine  explosion. 
While  congratulating  ourselves  that  we  were  on  the  right 
side  of  the  key,  where,  in  marked  contrast,  the  water  met 
the  beach  with  scarce  a  ripple,  a  bank  of  black  clouds  began 
to  form  at  the  northern  horizon ;  the  south  wind  dropped 
suddenly,  and  over  the  dark  waters  at  the  north,  a  line  of 
foam  was  seen  advancing  so  rapidly  that  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  the  surf  changed  sides,  so  to  speak,  and  we  were 
now  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  key. 

To  seek  shelter  from  the  southern  wind,  we  had  gone  as 
near  the  key  as  our  draught  would  permit,  and  this  surpris- 
ing shift  placed  us  almost  in  the  surf.  It  was  evident  that 
the  vessel  could  be  saved  only  by  leaving  this  position  at 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  203 

once,  rounding  the  key,  and  making  out  into  the  open  wa- 
ters to  the  westward ;  but  no  sooner  was  our  anchor  raised 
than,  in  spite  of  our  engine,  the  boat  was  flung  toward  the 
key.  Fortunately  her  head  swung  about  and  before  a  sec- 
ond sea  could  throw  us  on  the  rocks,  the  boat,  obeying  her 
helm,  veered  to  the  eastward  and,  after  grounding  twice, 
barely  missed  the  southeast  extremity  of  the  reef  and  was 
in  open  water.  It  was  a  case  of  what  Dr.  Mayer  aptly  de- 
scribed as  '  *  touch  and  go ' '  and  extremely  bewildering  to  the 
mind  of  a  landsman.  But,  as  predicted  by  my  always  cheer- 
ful friend,  Mr.  Shiras,  "the  worst  was  yet  to  come." 

In  order  to  secure  an  offing  whence  we  might  run  before 
the  storm  without  bringing  us  up  on  the  line  of  keys  to  the 
eastward — for  it  was  now  dark — it  was  necessary  to  run 
some  distance  to  the  westward.  This  brought  us  into  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  where  we  rolled  so  violently  that  the  small 
boat  in  the  leeward  davits,  dipped  enough  water  to  exert  a 
leverage  which  threatened  to  place  us  on  our  beam  ends ; 
fortunately,  a  wave  knocked  the  boat  from  its  fastenings 
and  it  was  drawn  aboard. 

The  ' '  Physalia ' '  was  now  swept  by  wave  after  wave,  and 
I  recall  the  expression  of  one  of  unusual  size  which  I  looked 
squarely  in  the  face,  for  what  seemed  an  interminable  per- 
iod. Whether  it  was  of  the  traditional  "mast-head"  height 
I  am  not  prepared  to  say ;  for  the  moment,  I  was  more  than 
content  to  observe  that  it  was  very  much  higher  than  my 
head  and  beyond  that  I  was  concerned  wholly  with  its 
further  movements — was  it  going  or  coming?  With  evident 
consideration  for  the  Museum's  bird  groups,  it  went  ! 

It  may  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  " Physalia"  and  her 
commander  that  she  finally  reached  a  point  where  we  could 
turn  to  the  southward ;  then,  stopping  the  engine,  we  raised 
a  hand  's-breadth  of  jigger  and  staysail  and  ran  before  the 
storm.  Beyond  the  not  too  vague  possibility  of  bringing  up 
on  one  of  the  reefs,  shoals  and  keys  which  lay  ahead,  we 
were  for  the  time  in  no  immediate  danger ;  but  as  the  wind 


204  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

increased  in  force,  reaching,  as  we  afterward  learned,  a 
maximum  of  eighty  miles  an  hour,  the  sea  rose  correspond- 
ingly, and  it  required  an  experienced  hand  to  hold  the  boat 
to  her  course  and  avoid  an  upset. 

So  we  wallowed  along  with  the  water  sloshing  over 
everything  above  decks  and  below,  and  with  the  always  en- 
livening prospect  that  the  black  wall  ahead  might  conceal  a 
port  for  which  we  had  not  started ;  when  at  midnight  it  was 
discovered  that  the  motion  of  the  boat  had  split  the  seams 
of  our  gasolene  tank ;  the  whole  vessel  was  soon  filled  with 
the  volatile  fumes  and  the  dangers  of  fire  became  more  im- 
mediate than  those  of  water.  Every  light  was  at  once  extin- 
guished, even  to  the  binnacle,  and  deprived  thus  of  the  com- 
pass by  which  alone  the  boat  could  be  held  to  her  course, 
we  were  in  momentary  expectation  of  capsizing;  but  a 
pocket  electric  torch  was  produced  and  by  its  rays  the  com- 
pass was  once  more  made  visible. 

This  was  a  long  night  and  the  gray  light  which  finally  re- 
vealed the  dark  line  of  keys  to  the  eastward,  found  a  crew 
whose  one  desire  was  to  reach  a  harbor  in  which  they  might 
rest.  Under  the  guidance  of  the  pilot,  we  therefore  headed 
for  the  keys  and,  touching  bottom  nearly  all  the  way,  reach- 
ed a  protected  basin  which  was  unanimously  declared  to  be 
the  most  attractive  place  that  each  man  aboard  the  boat  had 
ever  visited.  The  chart  showed  that,  with  only  a  few  square 
yards  of  canvas,  we  had  covered  ninety  miles  during  the 
night. 

The  day  was  passed  in  overhauling  and  drying  our  out- 
fit and  in  repairing  the  gasolene  tank  which,  fortunately, 
leaked  only  at  the  top,  and  was  therefore  safe  enough  in 
calm  weather. 

April  3,  we  resumed  our  voyage  before  a  still  strong, 
northerly  wind,  anchoring  for  the  night  within  the  Jamaica 
Cays,  where  we  rolled  heavily  under  the  influence  of  cross- 
currents, and,  on  April  4,  reached  the  excellent  little  har- 
bor between  the  Eagged  Islands, 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  205 

We  were  now  within  thirty  miles  of  Cay  Verde,  but  the 
wind  having  gone  to  the  eastward,  was  dead  ahead,  and  in 
Bahamese,  there  was  a  ' '  rage  on  ' '  outside,  forcing  us  to 
await  calmer  weather.  In  the  meantime  we  did  some  collect- 
ing and  photographing  on  Little  Bagged  Island  which, 
though  uninhabited  by  man;  has  a  population  of  cows,  goats, 
and  chickens,  the  property  of  the  only  white  family  on 
Greater  Bagged  Island,  and  very  curious  it  was  to  hear  a 
rooster  crow  from  the  depths  of  a  primeval  jungle.  Birds 
were  not  uncommon  on  Little  Bagged  Island ;  a  Snowy 
Egret,  six  Tree  Ducks  (Dendrocygna)  and  an  apparently 
unde scribed  form  of  the  Clapper  Bail,  of  which  only  one 
specimen  was  secured,  being  the  most  interesting  species  re- 
corded. 

Conditions  appearing  favorable,  we  started  for  Cay 
Verde  early  April  7,  but  once  deprived  of  the  shelter  of 
Bagged  Island,  the  east  wind  was  found  to  be  stronger 
than  we  anticipated.  Going  to  windward  was  not  the  * '  Phy- 
salia's ' '  strong  point,  and  we  were  soon  forced,  therefore,  to 
put  about  and  return  to  our  anchorage.  April  8,  a  second 
trial  was  made  and  the  sea  being  now  somewhat  lower,  with 
the  aid  of  sails  and  engine,  the  Cay  was  sighted  at  3  P.  M. 
still  about  ten  miles  to  windward.  The  rate  at  which  we 
were  traveling  made  it  doubtful  if  we  could  beat  that  far  be- 
fore nightfall  but,  the  wind  dropping,  we  lowered  our  sails 
and  under  power  alone  headed  directly  for  the  Cay. 

After  a  nine  days  trip,  not  devoid  of  incident,  we  ap- 
proached our  goal  with  no  small  concern.  My  information 
in  regard  to  its  bird-life,  while  the  best  which  could  be  ob- 
tained, was  nevertheless  about  sixteen  years  old,  and  was 
somewhat  indefinite  as  to  the  date  of  the  birds '  presence. 
When  we  believed  we  were  near  enough  to  distinguish 
birds  in  the  air  our  glasses  did  not  reveal  a  bird  over  the 
Cay  nor  were  any  seen  flying  toward  it.  But  we  were  furth- 
er away  than  we  supposed  and  when,  after  a  period  of 
pretty  keen  suspense  and  eager  looking,  one  black  dot  after 


206  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

another  grew  into  a  gently  soaring  flock  of  Man-o  '-War 
Birds  and,  shortly  after,  it  was  discovered  that  the  bushless 
spaces  of  the  island  were  dotted  with  thousands  of  Boobies 
and  their  half -grown  young,  our  elation  was  to  be  measured 
only  by  the  depth  of  our  mental  depression  when  it  was  be- 
lieved that  the  Cav  was  birdless. 


Camp  on  Cay  Verde 

The  Cay,  lying  north  and  south,  offered  protection  for 
the  ' '  Physalia ' '  only  from  easterly  and  westerly  winds,  and 
as  the  recurrence  of  a  norther  similar  to  that  we  had  just 
passed  through,  would  force  a  run  to  the  southward,  Mr. 
Shiras  and  I,  with  a  devotion  to  science  sharpened  by  recent 
experiences,  decided  to  camp  on  the  Cay,  while  to  Dr. 
Mayer  was  left  the  unenviable  duty  of  staying  on  the  ship.  A 
week 's  supply  of  food  and  water  and  an  awning  for  a  tent 
were  therefore  at  once  landed,  while  we  followed  in  one  of 
the  small  boats  which  was  left  with  us. 

By  the  time  our  makeshift  tent  was  erected  on  an  oar 
supported  by  two  camera  tripods,  and  our  outfit  and  provis- 
ions placed  under  its  shelter,  it  was  dark.  Boobies  were 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  207 

nesting  at  our  threshold,  and  the  rays  of  our  lantern  showed 
them  sleeping  with  heads  tucked  under  the  feathers  of  the 
back,  a  seemingly  headless  parent  standing  on  each  side  of 
a  generally  sitting,  headless  chick. 

During  the  day  a  shift  in  the  wind  forced  the  ' '  Physa- 
lia"  to  run  around  to  the  east  side  of  the  Cay,  where,  on  the 
night  of  the  10th,  in  heavy  thunder  squalls,  she  rolled  scup- 
pers under.  On  shore  the  first  rain  which  had  fallen  in 
months  caught  us  when  we  were  least  prepared  for  it.  The 
incident  illustrated  the  difference  between  the  seaman's  and 
the  landsman's  point  of  view;  Dr.  Mayer,  on  the  unstable 
"Physalia"  pitying  those  "poor  devils  under  a  bit  of  can- 
vas in  a  deluge, ' '  while  we,  believing  a  surplus  rain-drop  or 
two  to  be  better  than  the  depths  of  the  sea,  were  congratu- 
lating ourselves  that  we  were  not  aboard  the  boat. 

Cay  Verde  is  about  half  a  mile  long,  by  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  in  greatest  width,  and  roughly  estimated,  contains 
some  forty  acres. 

On  the  west  and  south  or  shallow  sides,  there  are  steeply 
shelving  beaches,  where,  under  favorable  conditions,  a  land- 
ing may  be  easily  made ;  on  the  eastern  side  the  deep  blue 
waters  of  the  ocean  break  directly  against  the  characteristic 
water-worn  limestone  rock,  of  which  Cay  Verde,  in  common 
with  other  Bahama  islands,  is  composed.  At  the  northern 
end,  where  the  islet  terminates  in  a  point,  this  rock  is  but 
little  above  sea-level.  Southward  it  gradually  increases  in 
height,  and  with  pronounced  irregularities  in  coast  line, 
reaches  a  bluff -like  elevation  of  seventy-five  feet  at  the 
southeastern  extremity  of  the  islet.  About  one-eighth  of  the 
surface  of  the  island  is  covered  with  a  dense  growth  chiefly 
of  sea  grape  (Coccolobis  uvifera)  but  with  a  liberal  mix- 
ture, mainly  about  the  borders,  of  a  "prickly  pear"  cactus 
(Opuntia)  and  sea  lavender  (Tournefortia). 

Where  sufficient  soil  has  accumulated,  the  remainder  of 
the  island  supports  a  growth  of  coarse  grasses,  sparse  on 
the  higher  rockier  portions,  more  luxuriant  in  the  lower 


208  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

portions,  particularly  about  the  margins  of  a  small  salt 
pond,  the  size  of  which  was  dependent  upon  conditions  of 
tide  and  wind.  There  is  no  fresh  water  on  the  Cay. 

In  the  literature  of  ornithology,  Cay  Verde  figures  only 
in  Bryant's  "List  of  Birds  Seen  at  the  Bahamas  from  Jan. 
20,  to  May  14, 1859,"*  where  it  is  mentioned  casually  as  a 
breeding  place  of  the  Tropic  Bird  (Phaethon  flavirostris). 
This  author  writes  at  some  length  of  the  nesting  habits  of 
the  Booby  and  Man-o'-War  Bird  as  observed  in  San  Domin- 
go Cay  and  the  Ragged  Islands,  respectively,  but  does  not 
refer  to  the  colonies  of  these  birds  in  Cay  Verde.  Possibly, 
he  did  not  himself  visit  Cay  Verde  where  doubtless  both  the 
species  of  birds  named  have  nested  for  a  prolonged  period ; 
this  Cay,  so  we  were  informed,  having  some  ten  years  ago 
been  the  site  of  a  guano  industry  which  nourished  until  all 
the  available  deposit  had  been  removed. 

My  information  in  regard  to  the  birds  of  Cay  Verde,  was 
obtained  from  the  late  D.  P.  Ingraham,  who,  as  a  collecting 
naturalist,  visited  the  Cay  about  1891.  Mr.  Ingraham 's  in- 
formation in  regard  to  the  presence  of  Boobies  and  Man-o  '- 
War  Birds  was  fully  verified.  In  May,  he  also  wrote,  great 
numbers  of  Terns  (doubtless  Sterna  fuliginosa,  S.  ancethe- 
tus  and  Anous  stolidus]  and  a  few  Tropic  Birds  come  to  the 
Cay  to  nest. 

No  land  birds  appear  to  be  resident  on  Cay  Verde,  but  it 
is  evidently  visited  by  numbers  of  migrants.  During  our 
stay  the  following  species  were  noted : 

Audubon's  Shearwater  Fish  Hawk 

Sooty  Tern  Duck  Hawk 

Great  Blue  Heron  Kingfisher 

Black-necked  Stilt  Mangrove  Cuckoo 

Greater  Yellow-leg  Gray  Kingbird 

Little  Yellow-leg  Savanna  Sparrow 

Least  Sandpiper  Myrtle  Warbler 

Turnstone  Yellow-throat  (Geothlypis) 

Audubon's  Shearwater  was  doubtless  breeding  on  the 
Cay  in  some  of  the  innumerable  holes  in  the  limestone.  No 


Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  VII,  p.  102. 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


209 


attempt  was  made  to  discover  it,  but  the  abundance  of  the 
birds  from  nightfall  until  midnight,  as  betrayed  by  their 
singular  calls,  together  with  the  absence  of  other  land  near- 
er than  thirty  miles,  leaves  little  doubt  of  their  presence. 

A  single  Sooty  Tern  was  seen  late  one  afternoon,  but 
numbers  of  these  birds,  with  possibly  also  Bridled  Terns, 
were  heard  flying  about  the  Cay  after  nightfall.  Possibly 
they  may  have  roosted  on  the  Cay,  or  their  visit  may  have 
had  some  connection  with  their  later  occupation  of  it. 

The  three  duck 
Hawks  living  on  the 
Cay  apparently  found 
sufficient  subsistence  in 
the  Shore  Birds  which 
visited  it  and  of  which 
they  were  several  times 
seen  in  pursuit. 

The  presence  of  the 
birds  above  mentioned, 
indicates  that  Cay 
Verde  would  be  an  ad- 
mirable station  for  the 
study  of  the  migration 
of  birds  through  this  re- 
gion. The  small  size  of 
the  Cay  would  permit 
the  taking  of  fairly  accurate  daily  censuses,  while  the  dis- 
tance from  the  nearest  land  makes  it  the  only  available  stop- 
ping place  in  a  large  aTea. 

It  is  to  this  isolation  that  the  presence  of  large  numbers 
of  breeding  birds  on  the  Cay,  may  be  chiefly  attributed.  Ani- 
mal food  is  always  at  a  premium  in  the  Bahamas  where  indi- 
genous mammalia  are  virtually  absent,  and  conditions  are 
generally  not  favorable  for  the  support  of  domesticated 
species. 

The  Bahaman  negro  considers  all  flesh  edible,  and  those 


Yellow-crowned  Night  Heron 


210  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

bird  rookeries  which  were  most  accessible,  have  long  ago 
been  devastated  for  food.  The  colony  containing  thousands 
of  Man-o'-War  Birds,  which  Dr.  Bryant  (I.  c.)  found  on 
Bagged  Island,  no  longer  exists ;  its  extinction  doubtless  be- 
ing due  to  the  habit,  of  which  we  were  told,  of  collecting 
Man-o  '-War  Birds,  salting  them  and  shipping  them  as  food 
to  the  other  islands. 

As  the  most  abundant  and  easily  observed  of  the  two 
birds  nesting  on  the  Cay,  the  Booby  first  commanded  our 
attention. 


The  Booby  Colony 

Although  the  Booby  is  found  throughout  the  West  In- 
dies, northward  at  least  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's 
River,  Florida,  where  on  March  11,  1907, 1  saw  twelve  indi- 
viduals, Bryant  appears  to  be  the  only  naturalist  who  has 
recorded  an  authentic  description  of  its  nesting  in  this 
region. 

A  partial  census  of  eggs  and  young,  led  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  were  about  1500  pairs  of  Boobies  nesting  on  Cay 
Verde.  They  were  distributed  in  several  groups  where  the 
comparatively  level  surface  and  sandy  soil  furnished  favor- 
able nesting  conditions.  In  most  instances  the  young  were 
covered  with  down,  with  the  brown  second  plumage  more  or 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


211 


less  evident  in  wings  and  tail.  A  few  birds  of  the  year  were 
already  a-wing  and  several  nests  contained  fresh  eggs.  For 
the  greater  number  of  birds,  however,  the  nesting  season,  as 
Bryant  has  stated,  evidently  begins  in  February. 

One  or  both  of  the  adults  remain,  as  a  rule,  with  the 
young.  On  April  9,  the  birds  awoke  at  5 :15  A.  M.,  when  for 
the  ensuing  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  there  was  a  subdued  kind 
of  quacking,  and  some  birds  were  seen  flying.  At  5 :30  sev- 
eral hundred  birds  left  the  rookery  in  a  body  to  go  fishing, 


A  Call  on  a  Booby  Family 

this  being  the  general  movement.  Individuals  returned  at 
intervals  during  the  day  and  evidently  changed  places  with 
the  bird  left  at  the  nest,  which,  in  turn,  went  out  to  feed  and 
to  gather  fish  for  the  young. 

There  was  no  concerted  return  movement  until  dusk, 
when  flocks  of  birds  came  in  from  the  sea,  the  last  comers  not 
arriving  until  after  dark.  In  the  meantime,  the  Man-o  '-Wai- 
Birds  had  retired  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  Boo- 
bies have  acquired  the  habit  of  "staying  out  late"  to  avoid 


212 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


Picked  up  bits  of  sticks 


being  robbed  of  their  food  by  the  Man-o  '-War  Birds,  which 
at  times  attacked  them  as  they  approached  the  Cay  and 
forced  them  to  disgorge. 

Sitting  or  brooding  birds  spend  the  night  upon  the  nest 

with  their  mate  stand- 
ing at  their  side,  but  the 
close  resemblance  of  the 
sexes  rendered  it  im- 
possible to  distinguish 
them  at  this  time.  When 
the  young  is  too  large 
to  be  brooded,  it  passes 
the  night  on  the  ground 
between  the  two  par- 
ents who  stand  on  either 
side,  all  three  with  their 
heads  tucked  under 
their  scapulars. 
When  perched  on  rocks  about  the  border  of  the  island, 
Boobies  showed  a  decided  fear  of  man  and  generally  flew 
before  one  had  approached  to  within  thirty  yards  of  them ; 
but  when  on  their  nests  they  were  conspicuously  tame,  the 
degree  of  tameness  being  related  to  the  advance  of  the  nest- 
ing season.  A  bird  with  newly  hatched  young  would  not,  as 
a  rule,  leave  the  nest  unless  actually  forced  to  do  so,  and  it 
would  strike  at  one  so  viciously  that  it  was  well  not  to  ven- 
ture within  its  reach.  This  was  the  extreme  development 
of  parental  instinct  which  now  gradually  diminished  as  the 
young  increased  in  size.  Evidently  as  a  result  of  excitement 
caused  by  our  presence,  the  birds  which  remained  to  defend 
their  young  threatened  us  with  their  bills,  picked  up  bits  of 
sticks  or  grasses,  only  to  drop  them  and  pick  them  up  again, 
and  even  struck  at  their  own  young  in  a  confused  and  aim- 
less manner.  The  young  also  had  this  habit.  The  report  of 
a  gun  occasioned  but  little  alarm  among  the  Boobies,  some 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


213 


of  which,  with  their  young  near  my  feet,  did  not  fly  when 
the  gun  was  discharged. 

In  spite  of  the  apparent  sociability  expressed  by  their 
communal  habits,  the  Boobies  immediately  resented  the 
trespass  on  their  home  site  by  one  of  their  own  kind.  Where 
the  nature  of  the  ground  permitted,  their  nests  were  placed 


Booby  and  Nest 

with  more  or  less  regularity  six  to  eight  feet  from  one  an- 
other. As  long  as  a  bird  remained  within  its  own  domain, 
having  a  diameter  of  approximately  six  to  eight  feet,  it  was 
not  molested ;  but  let  it  or  its  young  advance  beyond  these 
limits  and  they  were  promptly  attacked. 

So  closely,  however,  are  the  birds  confined  to  their  own  lit- 
tle areas  that  difficulties  of  this  kind  are  rare  and  under  nor- 
mal conditions  peace  reigns  in  the  rookery.  But  when,  as  we 
walked  through  the  rookery,  the  birds  in  escaping  from  the 
larger  evil  forgot  the  lesser  one  and  inadvertently  backed 
on  to  a  neighbor 's  territory,  the  unusual  cause  of  the  tres 
pass  was  not  accepted  as  an  excuse  and  they  found  the  "fry- 


214 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


ing  pan  '  '  was  worse  than  the  '  '  fire  '  '  as  the  enraged  owner, 
with  bristling  feathers,  furiously  assailed  them  with  open 
bill,  sometimes  taking  hold.  At  these  times,  and  whenever 

the  birds  were  alarmed, 
they  gave  utterance  to 
hoarse,  raucous  screams 
or  screeches,  though  as 
a  rule  they  were  com- 
paratively silent. 

The  Boobies'  nests 
on  Cay  Verde  were 
usually  a  slight  hollow 
in  the  ground  with 
often  a  scanty  lining 
or  rim  of  dried  grasses, 
but  in  some  instances 
even  this  humble  prep- 
aration for  housekeep- 
ing was  lacking  and  the 

eggs  were  laid    without 

pretense  of  nest. 

About  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  the  Boobies  nesting  on 
Cay  Verde  had  young,  some  of  which  were  newly  hatched 
while  a  few  were  on  the  wing,  but  the  largest  number  were 
beginning  to  acquire  flight  feathers.  Thirty-five  nests  were 
found  containing  eggs,  of  which  twenty-one  held  two  eggs, 
while  in  fourteen  there  was  but  one  ;  but  possibly  in  some,  if 
not  most  of  these,  another  egg  would  have  been  laid.  Two 
eggs,  therefore,  was  the  rule,  a  statement  confirming  pre- 
viously recorded  observations  on  the  nesting  habits  of  this 
species.  On  the  other  hand,  two  young  was  the  exception. 
Of  seven  hundred  and  forty  nests  counted  by  Dr.  Mayer  on 
the  east-  side  of  the  Cay,  only  two  contained  two  young,  and 
both  pairs  were  well  grown  and  approximately  the  same 
size. 

Examination  of  the  eggs  contained  in  sets  of  two  showed 


Booby  Twins 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


215 


A  Booby  Family 

that  either  there  was  a  marked  difference  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  embryos  or  that  one  or  both  eggs  were  infertile. 
For  example,  of  thirteen  nests  containing  two  eggs,  in  three 
nests  both  were  bad,  in  ten  both  were  good  but  with  every 
good  pair  there  was  about  a  week's  difference  in  the  age  of 
the  embryo.  In  six  nests  each  containing  one  young  and  one 
egg,  five  of  the  eggs  were  decomposed. 

With  those  Boobies  which  lay  two  eggs,  apparently  a 
week  intervenes  between  the  deposition  of  the  first  and  sec- 
ond egg,  and  to  this  unusual  irregularity  in  connection  with 
the  high  percentage  of  infertility,  we  attribute  the  discrep- 
ancy between  the  number  of  eggs  laid  and  the  number  of 
young  reared. 

Our  studies  were  not  sufficiently  prolonged  to  enable  us 
to  determine  whether,  when  both  eggs  were  fertile,  the 
young  first  hatched  survived  or  whether,  through  continued 
incubation  of  the  remaining  egg  it  starved  and  the  young 


216 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


hatched  from  the  last  laid  egg  lived ;  but  in  one  instance  a 
nest  was  observed  containing  a  lately  hatched  dead  young 
and  an  egg  with  an  embryo. 

The  case  is  unique  among  birds,  as  far  as  I  am  aware, 
but  that  the  data 
on   Cay  Verde   do 
not   reveal   an   ex 


Boobies  in  Flight 


ceptional  condition 
is  apparently  prov- 
en by  the  observa- 
tions of  Walter  K. 
Fisher*  in  the 
Leeward  Islands 
of  the  Hawaiian 
group  where  both  Sula  cyanops  and  8.  leucogastra  were 
found  to  lay  two  eggs  and  rear  but  one  young. 

The  young  Booby  is  born  naked  and  since  exposure  to 
the  sun  before  the  downy  plumage  is  developed  would  re- 
sult fatally,  it  is  constantly  brooded,  one  parent  at  once  re- 
placing the  other  when  the  brooding  bird  is  relieved.  Brood- 
ing continues  even  when  the  white  down  is  well  developed ; 
the  young  bird  is  then  too  large  to  be  wholly  covered  by  the 
parent,  and  lies  flat  on  the  ground,  the  head  exposed,  the 
eyes  closed,  apparently  dead.  This  relaxed  attitude  is  also 
taken  by  young  which  are  not  sheltered  by  the  parent  and 
we  were  not  a  little  surprised  on  several  occasions,  when 
about  to  examine  an  evidently  dead  bird  to  have  it  jump  up 


*  Birds  of  Laysan  and  the  Leeward  Islands,  Hawaiian  Group,  U.  S.  F'sb  Comm. 
Bull.19,  03,  pp.  28-30 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  217 

and  with  a  trumpeting  call  blare  at  us  with  open  mouth.  Nor 
do  they  rely  only  on  their  voice  for  defence,  but  use  their 
bill  effectively,  and,  as  has  been  remarked,  they  possess  with 
the  adult  the  somewhat  ludicrous  habit  of  venting  their  feel- 
ings by  picking  up  bits  of  stick  and  grass. 

Compared  with  other  rookeries  I  have  visited,  the  mor- 
tality among  young  Boobies  on  Cay  Verde  (aside  from 
the  prenatal  mortality  already  referred  to)  was  surprising- 
ly small.  This  I  attribute  to  the  isolation  of  the  Cay  which 
permits  the  birds  to  rear  their  young  with  little  or  no  intru- 
sion by  man,  whose  presence  even  only  as  a  visitor,  results 
in  great  confusion  and  consequent  death  among  the  young 
of  ground-nesting  colonial  birds. 

The  young  were  fed  on  squids  and  fishes  which  in  a  more 
or  less  digested  condition  they  obtained  by  thrusting  their 
heads  and  necks  down  the  parent 's  throat,  a  manner  of  feed- 
ing common  to  all  the  Steganopodes  with  whose  habits  I  am 
familiar  (including  Pelicans,  Man-o'-War  Birds,  Cormor- 
ants, and  Anhingas).  I  have  not,  however,  seen  the  Tropic 
Bird  feed  its  young  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  know 
whether  this  tern-like  member  of  the  order  employs  a  simi- 
lar method. 

Evidently  but  one  brood  is  reared  since  approximately 
three  months  must  elapse  after  the  egg  is  laid  before  the 
young  bird  can  fly  and  care  for  itself. 

The  luxuriant  growth  of  cactus  among  the  sea-grapes  in 
which  the  Man-o  '-War  Birds  nested,  added  to  the  difficulty 
with  which  these  thickly  branched,  shrubby  trees  were  pene- 
trated, and  we  did  not  attempt  to  make  a  census  of  the  num- 
ber of  birds  of  this  species  which  were  breeding  on  Cay 
Verde.  We  estimated,  however,  that  there  were  between 
two  hundred  and  three  hundred  pairs. 

The  nesting  season  seemed  to  be  about  as  far  advanced 
as  it  was  with  the  Booby,  most  of  the  nests  containing  half- 
grown  young,  but  some  held  fresh  eggs,  while  a  few  birds  of 
the  year  were  already  on  the  wing.  Their  manner  of  nesting 


218 


BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 


prevented  us  from  studying  the  nesting  habits  of  the  Man- 
o'-War  Bird  with  the  ease  which  attended  our  observations 
of  the  Boobies ;  and  I  have  but  little  to  record  concerning 
the  biography  of  this  species. 

The  Man-o  '-"War  birds  awoke  at  about  the  same  time  as 
the  Boobies,  and  at  5 :30  A.  M.,  were  sailing  over  their  rook- 
ery. From  this  time  until  they  retired,  considerably  before 
the  Boobies,  and  while  it  was  yet  light,  a  flock  of  birds  was 
constantly  over  the  sea-grapes.  The  birds  may  be  said  to 
have  perched  in  the  air  above  their  homes.  Only  one  bird  is 
in  attendance  on  the  young  at  the  same  time.  Both  sexes  as- 


A  Corner  of  the  Man-o'-War  Bird  Colony 
The  blind  appears  at  the  left 

sumed  this  duty,  as  well  as  the  task  of  incubation ;  but  there 
appeared  to  be  no  regularity  as  to  when  male  or  female 
should  be  on  guard. 

The  Man-o  '-War  birds  were  less  tame  than  the  Boobies 
and,  as  a  rule,  left  the  nest  when  one  approached  to  within 
thirty  or  forty  feet  of  them.  When,  however,  they  were 
brooding  newly  hatched  chicks,  they  showed  more  bravery. 

In  most  instances  the  gular  pouch  had  faded  from  car- 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD 


219 


Young  Man-o'-War  Birds  on  their  Nests 

mine  to  orange,  and  only  one  individual  was  seen  with  the 
pouch  inflated,  as  Fisher  has  described  it.  As  I  attempted  to 
approach  this  bird  the  pouch  was  suddenly  deflated. 

The  Man-o'-War  birds  were  not  seen  to  devour  the 
young  of  their  own  species,  as  they  have  been  said  to  do ;  nor 
were  they  observed  to  capture  young  Boobies.  Occasionally 
they  chased  the  adult  Boobies  and  made  them  disgorge  in 
the  air,  but  evidently,  in  the  main,  they  did  their  own  pur- 
veying, flying-fish  being  taken  from  one  bird  that  was  shot. 

The  adults  were  not  heard  to  utter  a  sound. 

The  nests  were  frail,  open-worked,  slightly  hollowed 
platforms,  composed  of  small  sticks  and  twigs,  placed  in  the 


220  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

tops  of  the  sea-grapes,  at  a  height  of  six  or  seven  feet,  or 
among  the  cactuses  within  two  feet  of  the  ground.  Several 
nests  are  often  placed  in  one  bush  within  reaching  distance 
of  one  another.  They  become  matted  with  filth  as  the  young 
increase  in  size.  One  adult  was  seen  carrying  nest-building 
material  in  its  bill. 


Female  Man-o'-War  Bird  and  Young 

The  Man-o  '-War  Bird  lays  but  one  egg,  and  in  a  number 
of  nests  fresh  eggs  were  found.  The  young  are  born  naked 
and  are  brooded  by  the  parents.  As  they  increase  in  size 
and  become  covered  with  white  down,  their  wings  seem  to  be 
much  too  large  for  them  to  hold  close  to  the  body,  and  relax- 
ed, are  permitted  to  rest  on  the  nest.  Their  whole  attitude 
suggests  extreme  dejection;  not  only  do  the  wings  droop, 
but  the  head  often  hangs  over  the  edge  of  the  nest.  When 
approached  they  uttered  a  squealing,  chippering  call,  and 
snapped  their  bills  with  a  rattling  sound ;  both  the  note  and 
action  strongly  suggesting  similar  habits  of  the  young 
Brown  Pelican. 

The  development  of  the  interscapular  feathers  in  the 
young  Man-o  '-War  Bird  is  remarkable.  Before  there  is  any 
evidence  of  wing  or  tail  feathers,  they  cover  the  back  like  a 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  221 

mantle,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  photographs  of  young  birds  in 
the  nest. 

It  is  surprising  that  in  a  bird  famed  for  its  power  of  night, 
and  possessed  of  exceptional  length  of  wing  and  tail,  the 
feathers  of  these  parts,  contrary  to  the  general  rule,  should 
not  take  the  lead  in  development.  Comparison  of  tne  young 
Man-o7-War  .birds  and  young  i^oouies,  for  example,  in 
which  wmg-featJiers  of  the  second  plumage  are  just  evident, 
snows  that  while  the  former  has  tne  whole  mterscapular  re- 
gion black,  some  of  the  feathers  being  d.Yo  incnes  in  lengtn, 
me  .booby  snows  as  yet  no  signs  of  second  plumage  in  this 
region. 

iNot  only  are  the  wing  feathers  in  Fregata  late  in  appear- 
ing, but  tne  secondaries  precede  the  primaries,  tne  former 
averaging  two  inches  in  length,  witn  tne  greater  and  median 
coverts  snowing,  when  the  latter  is  just  observable. 

Our  work  imished,  we  returned  to  the  "Jfhysalia"  late 
on  tne  afternoon  of  April  i^,  tiie  change  in  wind  since  our 
landing  making  it  necessary  to  re-embark  from  tne  southern 
side  of  the  (Jay,  ana  at  6  p.  MV  on  tne  13th,  we  reached  our 
old  anchorage  between  tne  Kagged  islands. 

April  13,  we  replenished  our  supply  of  fresh  water  from 
a  well  or  seepage-hole  within  a  few  yards  of  the  sea,  and  on 
the  14th  headed  for  JM  assau,  but  after  making  eighteen 
miles,  strong  head  winds  forced  us  to  seek  shelter  and 
anchor. 

April  15,  we  had  made  only  three  miles,  when  the  heavy 
north  wind  obliged  us  to  anchor  under  Nurse  Key  on  which 
we  passed  the  day.  At  midnight  the  wind  hauled  to  the  east- 
ward, giving  us  a  lee  and  permitting  us  to  lay  our  course. 
At  6  P.  M.,  on  the  16th,  we  were  abreast  of  Harvey  Cay  after 
our  only  good  day's  run  since  leaving  Miami,  and  the  ba- 
rometer promising  settled  weather,  under  the  advice  of  the 
pilot,  but  against  the  judgment  of  our  commander,  we  decid- 
ed to  sail  through  the  night. 

The  wind  held  fair  but  doubtless  a  tidal  current  setting 


222  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

through  an  opening  in  the  line  of  keys  to  the  east,  carried  us 
from  our  course  and  at  half -past  eleven,  after  a  warning- 
bump  or  two,  we  brought  up  on  a  bar  and  were  pounded  by 
the  sea  under  a  freshening  breeze  for  the  rest  of  the  night. 
Daylight  showed  that  we  were  on  the  Cistern  Key  bhoals 
and  a  mile  and  a  hall  too  far  to  the  east. 

We  had  gone  ashore  at  high  tide,  and  the  succeeding  high 
tide,  at  noon,  on  the  17th,  lacked  at  least  a  foot  of  floating 
us.  VV  e  did,  however,  after  great  exertion,  succeed  in  turn- 
ing the  boat's  head  so  far  around  that  there  was  some  pros- 
pect of  getting  her  on  the  shoals  at  high  water  near 
midnight,  in  the  meantime,  cable  chains,  spare  anchors  ana 
ballast  were  thrown  overboard  on  the  shoals  and  buoyeu, 
and  our  boxes  of  canned  provisions  were  landed  on  the  near- 
est key,  distant  a  mile  and  a  half,  where,  to  protect  them 
from  negro  spongers,  1  was  given  the  enviable  post  of 
guard.  The  quiet  waters  of  the  bay  on  which  1  was  camped, 
were  dotted  with  numerous  attractive  little  keys ;  Mocking- 
birds were  cheerily  singing,  Doves  cooing  softly,  and  tne 
glowing  sun  sank  balloon-shaped  into  the  sea,  leaving  a 
sense  of  restfulness  sadly  at  variance  with  the  anxiety  and 
activity  of  the  day  and  night  just  passed. 

From  the  key,  the  "Physalia"  appeared  to  be  afloat  and 
in  order  that  I  might  determine  whether  she  had  moved,  i 
arranged,  before  retiring,  a  sight  of  two  conch-shells  and  a 
broken  limb  which,  viewed  in  line,  led  to  the  boat.  She  was 
not  visible  from  my  camp  and  when  at  dawn  on  the  following 
morning  I  picked  my  way  over  the  pointed  and  pitted  lime- 
stone, and  found  that  the  "Physalia"  was  missing  from  her 
position  at  the  end  of  the  line  connecting  the  conchs  and 
branch,  I  held  a  little  celebration  which,  from  all  accounts, 
was  not  a  bad  imitation  of  the  one  occurring  on  the  boat, 
when  during  the  night,  with  unexpected  ease,  she  went  off 
the  shoals.  A  step  or  two  further  showed  her  riding  to  the 
wind,  in  the  deeper  waters  toward  the  south. 

Cargo  and  ballast  were  now  reloaded  with  a  will  and,  at 


BOOBY  AND  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRD  223 

8  A.  M.,  we  got  under  way  with  a  fair  wind  and  every  pros- 
pect of  reaching  Nassau  in  the  evening;  but  when  opposite 
Norman  Key,  where  on  March  31  we  had  anchored  in  a  flat 
calm,  the  wind  failed,  and,  being  without  sufficient  gasolene 
to  finish  the  voyage,  the  day's  run  ended  at  that  point.  Dur- 
ing the  night  the  wind  rose,  still  holding  from  the  south  and 
getting  under  way  at  4 :3U  A.  MV  we  reached  our  anchorage 
in  Nassau  harbor  at  noon. 

The  storm  of  April  1  had  done  more  or  less  damage  to 
the  shipping  here,  driving  the  water  up  to  Bay  street  and 
the  surf  over  Hog  island,  while  a  party  of  tourists  were  for 
three  days  prevented  from  returning  to  their  steamer, 
which  ran  to  the  southern  shore  of  the  island  for  shelter. 

The  steamship  service  to  Miami  having  been  arbitrarily 
discontinued  a  month  in  advance  of  the  published  sailing 
dates,  and  the  only  available  schooner  having  left  the  day 
before,  I  waited  at  Nassau  until  Dr.  Mayer  closed  his  branch 
laboratory  and  on  April  26,  continued  the  journey  to  Miami 
aboard  the  ' '  Physalia. ' '  Starting  at  midnight,  we  hoped  to 
reach  our  former  anchorage  oft'  Cat  (Jay  before  dark,  but  at 
nightfall,  Gun  Cay  light  still  being  invisible  from  the  mast- 
head, we  anchored  on  the  Banks  where,  in  the  face  of  a 
strong  east  wind,  the  boat  pitched  violently  and  threatened 
to  snap  her  anchor  chain. 

Two  hours  run,  on  the  morning  of  April  27,  brought  us  in 
sight  of  Gun  Cay,  but  as  we  were  about  to  slip  through  the 
narrow  passage  between  it  and  Cat  Cay,  the  wind  failed  and 
shortly  came  out  ahead.  We  therefore  anchored  under  Cat 
Cay.  Mr.  Haigh,  the  sociable  hermit  of  this  attractive  little 
island,  at  once  came  aboard  and  we  not  only  accepted  his 
cordial  invitation  to  breakfast  but  virtually  became  his 
guests  during  the  two  days  we  waited  for  a  favoring  wind 
with  which  to  cross  the  stream. 

One  might  hunt  far  for  a  more  charming  place  in  which 
to  be  weather  bound.  The  Cay  is  about  two  miles  long  and, 
having  more  soil,  is  correspondingly  more  fertile  than  the 


224  BAHAMA  BIRD-LIFE 

average  Bahaman  key.  Numerous  walks  which  have  been 
opened  through  the  dense  growth,  facilitate  observation  of 
birds,  and  for  this  reason,  in  connection  with  its  geographi- 
cal position,  the  Cay  would  make  an  admirable  place  in 
which  to  study  bird  migration. 

Great  numbers  of  Warblers  were  seen  here  during  the 
two  days  of  our  stay,  the  Cape  May  Warbler  outnumbering 
all  the  other  species  together.  There  were  also  Black  and 
White  Warblers,  Parulas,  a  single  Worm-eating  Warbler, 
Black-throated  Blue,  Blackpoll  and  Prairie  Warblers,  Oven- 
birds,  Northern  Water-Thrushes,  Maryland  Yellow-throats, 
and  Eedstarts,  and  a  single  Kirtland's  Warbler,  the  only 
one  I  have  ever  seen,  while  feeding  on  the  berries  of  low 
' '  sage ' '  bushes,  gave  me  an  excellent  opportunity  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  this  the  rarest  North  American  member 
of  its  family.  Its  tail-wagging  motion  was  as  pronounced 
as  that  of  the  Palm  Warbler. 

The  wind  heading  to  the  northeast,  we  resumed  our  jour- 
ney at  6 :30  A.  M.  on  April  29,  and  after  rather  a  rough  trip 
across  the  stream,  sighted  Fowey  Bock  light  at  eleven 
o'clock  and  reached  Miami  five  hours  later — exactly  one 
month  and  one  day  from  the  time  we  had  left  there. 

I  have  given  the  history  of  this  voyage  in  some  detail  as 
in  my  experience,  at  least,  a  rather  unusual  record  of  pro- 
longed adverse  conditions,  and  in  concluding  this  narrative 
of  an  expedition  from  which  success  was  virtually  choked, 
I  express  with  much  pleasure  my  indebtedness  to  Dr.  May- 
er's  skill  as  a  commander,  his  courtesy  as  a  host,  and  his 
value  as  a  scientific  associate. 


PART  V. 
THE  STORY  OF  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

THE  PRAIRIE  HEN 
A  GOLDEN  EAGLE'S  NEST 
CACTUS  DESERT  BIRD-LIFE 


Giant  Cactus  and  Santa  Catalina  Mountains 
Note  the  Woodpecker  hole  in  the  main  stem 


THE  STOEY  OF  THKEE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 
INTRODUCTORY 

For  the  collecting  season  of  1906, 1  planned  an  itinerary, 
which  beginning  in  early  May  in  Nebraska,  led  successively 
to  Arizona,  Wyoming,  California  and  Oregon.  The  work 
accomplished  in  the  two  latter  states  is  described  in  the 
chapter  on  California  bird-life,  and  I  wish  to  relate  here 
briefly  the  facts  connected  with  the  securing  of  material  for 
a  Prairie  Hen  group  in  Nebraska,  a  cactus  desert  bird-life 
group  near  Tucson,  and  a  Golden  Eagle  group  in  Wyoming. 

I  confess  that  these  three  chapters  are  inspired  by  a  de- 
sire to  present  a  complete  history  of  the  collecting  of  the 
' '  Habitat  Groups, ' '  rather  than  by  the  necessity  of  record- 
ing anything  I  may  have  learned  of  the  region,  or  its  birds, 
in  which  the  three  groups  were  secured.  To  travel  13,000 
miles  in  three  months  does  not  permit  one  to  linger  at  any 
one  locality  and,  as  soon  as  the  collections  were  made  for 
one  group,  we  hastened  toward  the  next. 

I  was  accompanied  in  Nebraska  and  Arizona  by  Bruce 
Horsfall,  artist,  and  J.  D.  Figgins,  of  the  Museum  staff, 
preparateur.  May  1,  we  reached  Lincoln,  Nebraska, 
whither  we  had  gone  to  confer  with  Prof.  Lawrence  Bruner, 
in  regard  to  a  favorable  locality  for  Prairie  Hens  and  to  ob- 
tain a  permit  from  the  State  Game  Warden  to  collect  the 
specimens  needed. 

The  same  evening,  accompanied  by  Professor  Bruner, 
we  left  for  Halsey,  in  the  sand-hills  of  the  central  part  of 
the  state,  where  we  became  the  guests  of  the  Forest  Reser- 
vation Station. 

We  left  Halsey  May  6,  going  to  Denver  by  way  of  Alli- 
ance, and  continuing  our  journey  thence  to  Pueblo,  the 


228  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

Eaton  Pass,  Albuquerque,  and  Deming  to  Tucson,  which  we 
reached  May  10. 

Tucson  was  left  May  21,  and  Medicine  Bow,  Wyoming, 
reached  the  25th  by  way  of  Yuma,  San  Bernardino,  the 
Meadow  Valley  Wash,  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden. 


A  Bates'  Hole  Road 


THE  PRAIRIE  HEN 

That  one  should  have  to  go  to  central  Nebraska  for  Prai- 
rie Hens  is  impressive  evidence  of  the  rapid  decrease  of  this 
fine  bird.  As  a  boy,  in  the  early  seventies,  I  recall  the  glut  of 
these  Grouse  in  the  butcher  shops,  my  first  ornithological 
collection,  indeed,  being  composed  largely  of  wings  of  Prai- 
rie Hens,  obtained  with  the  cook's  co-operation.  But  the 
farmer  in  the  spring,  and  the  market-hunter  in  the  fall,  have 
given  the  bird  no  opportunity  to  reproduce  or  time  to  rest, 
and  it  is  now  either  extirpated  or  rare  over  most  of  the  re- 
gion in  which  it  was  formerly  abundant. 

When,  therefore,  I  made  inquiry  of  various  correspond- 
ents concerning  a  place  where  I  might  count  on  finding  Prai- 
rie Hens  in  numbers,  I  was  advised  to  go  to  the  sand-hills  of 
Nebraska.  In  this  comparatively  arid  region,  unfit  for  agri- 
culture except  in  the  watered  bottom-lands,  the  bird  proved 
to  be  abundant  and  here,  doubtless,  it  will  make  its  last 
stand. 

Nebraska  is  a  connecting  link  between  the  east  and  the 
west.  Deciduous  woods  border  the  streams  which  flow 
through  the  prairies  of  its  eastern  portion ;  conifers  grow  on 
the  mountains  which  penetrate  the  plains  of  its  northwest- 
ern portion. 

The  influence  of  such  striking  changes  in  physiography 
and  forest  growth  is  markedly  observable  in  the  distribution 
of  birds  in  Nebraska. 

The  eastern  Wild  Turkey,  for  example,  was  once  com- 
mon in  the  wooded  bottom-lands  of  eastern  Nebraska,  while 
the  Sage  Hen  is  found  on  the  sage  plains  of  its  western  bor- 
der. So,  too,  among  many  similar  cases,  the  Whip-poor- 
will,  Chimney  Swift,  Phoebe,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  and 
Scarlet  Tanager,  nest  commonly  in  eastern  Nebraska,  while 


230  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

the  Poor-will,  White-throated  Swift,  Say's  Phoebe,  Bullock's 
Oriole,  Black-headed  Grosbeak,  and  Western  Tanager,  nest 
only  in  the  western  part  of  the  state. 

In  brief,  some  eastern  birds  find  their  western  limit  in 
eastern  Nebraska,  and  some  western  birds  find  their  eastern 
limit  in  western  Nebraska,  while  the  ranges  of  others  meet 
or  overlap.  The  Prairie  Hen,  for  example,  extends  more 
than  half-way  across  the  state  where  it  meets  the  Sharp-tail 
Grouse  or  Prairie  Chicken ;  the  Great-crested  Flycatcher 
meets  the  Arkansas  Kingbird,  the  Blue  Jay  the  Magpie,  to 
mention  a  few  of  many  similar  cases. 

May  3,  when  we  reached  Halsey,  the  migration  appeared 
to  be  at  its  height,  and  many  transient  species  were  found 
with  those  which  were  nesting  or  about  to  nest. 

In  or  along  the  swiftly  flowing  Middle  Loup  we  observed 
small  numbers  of  Mallards,  Pintails,  Blue-winged  Teal, 
Great  Blue  Herons,  American  Bitterns,  Coots,  Wilson's 
Snipe,  Solitary  Sandpipers  and  Killdeer.  Among  the  wil- 
lows and  blossom-covered  plum  bushes  of  the  bottom-lands, 
were  a  single  Bob-white,  Arkansas  Flycatchers,  Say's 
Phcebes,  Blue  Jays,  Yellow-headed,  Brewer's,  and  Red- 
winged  Blackbirds  (Agelaius  subsp.),  Clay-colored  and  In- 
termediate White-crowned  Sparrows,  Arctic  Towhees  in 
great  numbers,  every  plum  thicket  holding  as  many  as  forty 
or  fifty  males  and  females ;  Field  Sparrows,  White-rumped 
Shrikes,  and  straggling  Myrtle,  Blackpoll,  and  Wilson's 
Warblers,  Yellow-throats  (Geothlypis  subsp.),  Eock  Wrens, 
Brown  Thrashers,  and  Bluebirds. 

On  the  prairie  of  the  Loup  Valley,  we  saw  a  single  Bar- 
tramian  Sandpiper  or  ' '  Upland  Plover ' '  once  abundant  but. 
as  a  breeding  bird,  now  very  rare  in  Nebraska,  Prairie 
Hens,  Doves,  Burrowing  Owls,  Prairie  Horned  Larks, 
Western  Meadowlarks,  Lark  Buntings,  Lark  Finches,  and 
Vesper  Sparrows. 

The  Sharp-tailed  Grouse  (Pedioecetes  p.  campestris) 
appeared  to  be  confined  to  the  dune-like  sandhills.  In  the 


THE  PRAIRIE  HEN  231 

air,  were  Turkey  Vultures  (we  saw  two),  Ferruginous 
Rough-legs,  Swainson's  and  Sharp- shinned  Hawks,  Fish 
Hawk  (one),  Barn,  Tree,  and  Bank  Swallows. 

The  list  shows  that  interesting  mingling  of  western  and 
eastern  forms  which  one  would  expect  to  find  at  a  locality 
almost  on  the  one  hundredth  meridian.  The  Western 
Meadowlark  was  the  most  abundant  as  well  as  the  most 
musical  bird  present.  Its  song  season  was  now  at  its  height, 
and  there  were  few  moments  from  daylight  to  dusk  when 
one  or  more  birds  could  not  be  heard.  The  flight  song  was 
uttered  almost  as  frequently  as  the  perch  song.  It  was  al 
ways  preceded  by  a  mellow,  whistled  wheu,  repeated  four  or 
five  times  at  increasingly  shorter  intervals,  until  it  seemed 
to  force  the  bird  into  the  air  to  give  freer  utterance  to  a 
hurried,  ecstatic,  twittering,  jumbled  warble,  as  it  mounted 
on  fluttering  wings  to  a  height  of  twenty  to  forty  feet,  de- 
scribed an  arc  and  sought  a  new  perch. 

On  the  morning  of  May  5,  I  saw  and  heard  a  single 
Eastern  Meadowlark,  whose  clean-cut  fifing  was  instantly 
recognizable  in  the  chorus  of  bubbling  flute-notes  of  the 
western  bird.  The  difference  in  the  calls  of  the  species  was 
even  more  marked  than  that  which  exists  between  their 
songs.  The  call-note  of  the  Western  Meadowlark  is  a  chuck, 
chuck  followed  by  a  wooden,  rolling  b-r-r-r-r-r,  wholly  unlike 
the  sharp  dzit  or  yert  and  metallic  twitter  of  the  eastern 
bird. 

Beyond  question  these  two  birds  meet  at  the  junction  of 
plain  and  prairie  as  species,  not  as  geographic  races,  and 
the  rare  intermediates  from  this  part  of  their  common 
range  are,  in  my  opinion,  hybrids  rather  than  climatic  inter- 
grades. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  at  Halsey,  Professor 
Bruner  made  good  his  promise  to  introduce  me  to  the 
Prairie  Hen  and  I  listened  for  the  first  time  to  their 
booming,  with  doubtless  much  the  same  feeling  that  an 
ardent  music-lover  first  hears  the  voice  of  a  world-renowned 


232  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

singer.  The  birds  were  distant  about  a  mile,  but  their  per- 
vasive, resonant,  conch-like  notes,  came  distinctly  to  the 
ear  through  the  still,  clear  air. 

After  finding  the  place  on  the  prairie  where  the  birds 
assembled,  I  erected  there  the  umbrella  blind,  putting  fresh- 
leaved  willow  branches  about  and  over  it.  The  next  day  the 
weather  proved  unfavorable  for  my  purpose,  but  the  morn- 
ing of  May  6,  was  all  one  could  ask  for.  I  arose  at  four 
o  'clock ;  there  was  no  hint  of  coming  day,  but  a  great  red 
moon  hung  over  the  sand-hills  just  long  enough  to  guide  me 
over  the  mile  and  a  half  to  the  blind.  The  mercury  regis- 
tered 25° ;  the  grass  was  crisp  with  frost,  the  air  sparkling 
and  deliciously  stimulating.  A  Burrowing  Owl  cackled  as  I 
passed  his  dwelling  and  from  the  dark  the  mellow  flute-song 
of  the  Western  Meadowlark  greeted  the  still  unseen  day. 

A  prairie  is  not  overburdened  with  landmarks  at  night, 
and  but  for  the  now  faint  light  of  the  disappearing  moon,  I 
should  have  been  unable  to  find  my  blind  without  more 
direct  assistance  from  the  sun.  While  looking  for  it  I  nearly 
stepped  upon  a  Prairie  Hen  who,  if  he  was  as  badly  scared 
as  I  was,  is  still  talking  of  the  experience.  Finally,  I  found 
the  little  structure  which  seemed  singuarly  homelike,  and, 
no  light  still  paling  the  east,  I  crawled  within  it,  prepared 
to  spend  a  chilly  hour  while  waiting  for  the  curtain  to  rise, 
but  I  had  not  unslung  my  camera  when,  from  almost  within 
arm's  length,  a  positively  blood-curdling  boom-ah-boom  re- 
sounded over  the  prairie.  The  performance  had  begun. 

At  short  range  the  bird's  note  suggested  the  mellow, 
resonant  tone  of  a  kettledrum,  and  when  bird  after  bird,  all 
still  unseen,  uttered  its  truly  startling  call,  the  very  earth 
echoed  with  a  continuous  roar.  Soon  one  could  see  as  well 
as  hear,  and  a  remarkable  sight  it  was  that  presented  itself. 
Nineteen  cock  Prairie  Hens  were  booming,  strutting  or 
fighting  within  one  hundred  yards  of  my  blind,  the  nearest 
being  less  than  half  this  distance. 

As  a  rule  each  bird  had  its  own  stand  separated  by  about 


234  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

ten  yards  from  that  of  his  neighbor.  The  boom  is  apparent- 
ly a  challenge.  It  is  preceded  by  a  little  dance  in  which  the 
bird's  feet  pat  the  ground  so  rapidly  as  to  produce  a  rolling 
sound.  This  cannot  be  heard  at  a  greater  distance  than 
thirty  yards.  It  is  immediately  followed  by  the  inflation  of 
the  great  orange  air  sacks  at  the  side  of  the  neck,  which  puff 
out  as  quickly  as  a  child's  toy  balloon-whistle;  the  tail  is 
erect  and  widely  spread,  the  wings  drooped,  the  neck-tufts 
are  raised  straight  upward,  giving  the  bird  a  singularly 
devilish  look,  then  with  a  convulsive  movement  of  the 
lowered  head  the  boom  is  jerked  out  and  at  its  conclusion 
the  air  sacks  have  become  deflated. 

One  might  imagine  that  after  so  violent  a  performance 
the  bird  would  feel  a  certain  sense  of  exhaustion  or  at  least 
quiescent  relief,  but  his  excess  of  vitality  seeks  still  other 
outlets.  Uttering  hen-like  calls  and  cacks  he  suddenly 
springs  a  foot  or  more  straight  into  the  air,  whirling  about 
as  though  he  were  suffering  from  a  combined  attack  of 
epilepsy  and  St.  Vitus  dance. 

But  all  this  activity  is  only  a  prelude  to  the  grand  finale 
of  actual  combat.  Like  a  strutting  Turkey  cock,  the 
neighboring  birds  go  toward  each  other  by  short  little  runs, 
head  down,  the  oranee  eye-brow  expanded  and  evident, 
pouch  inflated,  neck-tufts  and  tail  straiarht  up,  and  looking 
like  headless  birds  with  two  tails.  Their  meeting  is  followed 
by  no  make-believe  duel  but  an  actual  clash  of  wings.  TJtter- 
insr  a  low,  whininsr  note  they  fisrht  as  viciously  as  game 
cocks,  and  the  number  of  feathers  left  on  the  ground  testi- 
fies to  effective  use  of  bills  and  claws. 

The  first  bird  called  at  4 :40,  and  by  seven  o'clock  the  per- 
formance was  practically  over.  Either  the  birds  had  passed 
the  niarht  out  on  the  prairie  or  had  left  their  sleeping  places 
in  the  bushy  coverts  of  the  bottom  while  still  it  was  dark. 

It  is  commonly  believed  that  the  performance  I  have  out- 
lined, is  for  the  edification  of  the  females  who  have  been 
described  as  interested  spectators  of  the  proceedings,  but 


THE  PRAIRIE  HEN  235 

on  this  morning  not  one  female  was  present,  and  I  find  that 
Dr.  Anderson  ("Birds  of  Iowa")  also  states  that  he  has 
never  seen  females  on  these  occasions.  Probably  we  may 
regard  these  exhibitions  as  the  uncontrollable  manifesta- 
tions of  that  physical  energy  which  in  animals  reaches  its 
extreme  development  during  the  mating  season. 

If  the  female  should  chance  to  be  a  witness  of  the  per- 
formance, it  may  serve  to  arouse  her  sexual  ardor,  but  it  is 
evident  that  her  presence  is  not  necessary  to  stimulate  the 
male  to  his  extraordinary  vocal,  acrobatic,  and  war-like 
exertions. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  although  the  Prairie  Cock  when 
in  the  lists  is  a  strikingly  conspicuous  creature,  he  wears  no 
adornment  which  cannot  be  concealed  at  a  moment 's  notice. 
The  sight  of  a  passing  Hawk  changes  the  grotesque,  be- 
plumed,  be-oranged  bird  into  an  almost  invisible  squatting 
brownish  lump,  so  quickly  can  the  feathers  be  dropped  and 
air  sack  deflated.  With  woodland  birds  so  great  a  change  is 
unnecessary,  but  the  Prairie  Hen  can  hide  only  under  its 
own  feathers. 

With  the  echoing  boom  of  the  Prairie  Hen's  drum,  I  can 
still  hear  the  fluting  of  the  Western  Meadowlark,  which 
perched  on  my  blind,  and,  with  almost  deafening  effect, 
sang  repeatedly,  at  about  six  inches  from  my  ear. 


A  GOLDEN  EAGLE'S  NEST 

It  was  in  1900  that  a  correspondent  sent  me  a  photo- 
graph of  a  Golden  Eagle's  nest  which,  if  the  birds  had  con- 
sulted the  requirements  of  museum  exhibition,  could  not 
have  been  more  suitably  situated.  Foreground  and  back- 
ground were  so  widely  separated  by  an  unseen  middle 
distance  that  the  work  of  the  reproducer  of  the  former,  and 
the  painter  of  the  latter  was  clearly  denned.  Furthermore, 
the  scene  as  a  whole,  was  not  only  picturesque  in  itself,  but 
was  characteristic  of  a  type  of  Wyoming  "Badland". 

The  photograph  was  filed  awaiting  an  opportunity  to 
make  a  study  of  the  scene  it  represented,  but  this  did  not 
come  until  1906.  On  May  25,  of  that  year,  I  reached  Medi- 
cine Bow,  the  nearest  railway  station  to  Bates '  Hole,  fifty 
miles  to  the  north;  the  site  of  the  Eagle's  nest.  Eeaders  of 
"The  Virginian"  will  recall  Owen  Wister's  description  of 
this  town  on  the  Laramie  Plains,  which,  in  size  and  general 
appearance,  has  apparently  changed  but  little  since  the 
"Judge's"  prospective  guest  alighted  there.  But  the 
passing  of  the  open  range  and  the  advent  of  sheep  have 
exerted  as  marked  an  influence  on  the  life  of  the  place  as  is 
implied  in  the  difference  between  cow-punching  and  sheep- 
herding,  and  Medicine  Bow  would  no  longer  appeal  to  the 
most  imaginary  romancer. 

The  ranchman  who  knew  the  location  of  the  Eagle's  nest, 
and  whose  services  as  guide  I  hoped  to  secure,  was  reported 
to  be  seventy  miles  away ;  but  when  my  proposition  to  ride 
out  and  find  him  was  met  by  a  suggestion  to  telephone,  I 
was  impressed  with  the  space  annihilating  properties  of  this 
invention  as  never  before,  and  pardoned  the  wire-bearing 
poles  for  disfiguring  the  sage-brush. 

Within  half  an  hour  I  learned  that  my  man  was  absent 


A  GOLDEN  EAGLES'S  NEST  237 

on  a  horse  round-up,  and  thus  was  saved  a  fruitless  four- 
day  journey.  The  following  day,  Will  Taylor  was  secured 
as  substitute,  and  on  May  27,  having  laid  in  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions at  Medicine  Bow's  only  store,  we  started  for  Bates' 
Hole.  Two  days  rain  had  made  the  roads  very  heavy  and, 
after  going  sixteen  miles,  we  put  up  for  the  night  at  Tay- 
lor's  ranch.  Here  in  a  sheltered  valley  of  the  Freeze  Out 
Hills,  the  man,  with  infinite  labor,  had  built  himself  a  com- 
fortable home,  stable,  corral,  and  other  out-buildings,  of 
logs,  every  one  of  which  he  had  brought  from  the  Laramie 
Mountains,  forty -five  miles  away.  Fuel  he  secured  from  a 
coal-vein  on  school  land,  distant  a  day's  journey.  An.  excel- 
lent spring  supplied  water,  and  a  small  bunch  of  cattle, 
directly  or  indirectly  furnished  food. 

It  continued  raining  on  the  28th,  and  the  day  ended  with 
a  violent  thunder  shower  followed  by  a  sudden  fall  in  the 
temperature,  and  a  stinging  hailstorm  driven  by  a  howling 
gale. 

May  29,  the  mercury  registered  34°  at  7 :30  A.  MV  and  the 
wind  blew  about  fifty  miles  an  hour  with  occasional  flurries 
of  snow  and  hail.  Arid  Tucson  with  its  temperature  of  103° 
seemed  to  belong  to  the  experience  of  another  year  rather 
than  of  the  preceding  week. 

In  the  afternoon,  with  the  hope  of  finding  that  the  high 
winds  had  partially  dried  the  roads,  we  decided  to  start  on 
our  journey.  A  canvas  top  stretched  over  our  wagon  trans- 
formed it  into  a  prairie  schooner,  which  gave  us  excellent 
protection  from  the  wind  and  hail.  Toward  evening  the 
clouds  broke  into  great  masses  and  the  day  ended  with  a 
magnificent  sunset  and  a  promise  of  a  clear  morrow. 

We  put  up  for  the  night  at  Dyer 's  ranch  unexpected,  but 
unmistakably  welcome  guests.  A  broncho  "buster"  with  a 
string  of  fifty  horses,  who  had  also  stopped  here  for  a 
night's  lodging,  gave  us  an  exhibition  of  riding  which  would 
have  done  credit  to  a  Cheyene  tournament. 

May  30,  the  wind  was  high  but  the  air  clear  and  exhila- 


238 


THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 


rating.  Our  schooner  with  Taylor 's  sturdy  horses  and  a 
saddle  horse  as  tender,  was  under  way  at  7 :30  and  we  were 
soon  launched  in  a  sea  of  sage-brush  bounded  ahead  only  by 
the  snow-ridged  Laramie  Mountains,  forty  miles  away.  The 
Muddy  Eiver  was  bankfull,  but  we  forded  it  with  a  rush, 
and  early  in  the  afternoon  reached  the  edge  of  the  great 
depression  in  which,  somewhere,  was  the  object  of  our 
search. 


In  Bates'  Hole 

The  wind  still  blew  violently,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
find  a  camp-site  which  would  give  us  some  protection  from 
its  force.  The  trail  through  the  bottom  of  the  Hole  proved 
impassable  and,  after  a  narrow  escape  from  miring,  we  were 
forced  to  turn  to  the  left  and  in  a  mile  or  more,  discovered 
the  cabin  of  a  settler  named  Groener,  so  hidden  in  a  pocket 
on  the  shores  of  Stinking  Creek,  that  we  might  have  passed 
it  unseen  within  a  hundred  feet. 

We  pitched  our  tent  in  the  lee  of  the  cabin — which  Mrs. 
Chapman  was  the  second  woman  to  enter — and  gladly 


A  GOLDEN  EAGLE'S  NEST  239 

accepted  Groener's  invitation  to  use  his  stove  and  firewood. 

Bates '  Hole  is  a  basin  in  the  plains,  some  sixty  miles  long 
and  about  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below 
the  general  level  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  bottom 
is  mainly  covered  with  sage-brush,  which  is  largely 
"sheepedout",  or  grazed  to  the  wood,  the  Hole  being  a 
favored  resort  of  sheep,  particularly  during  the  winter  and 
in  May,  when  lambing.  There  were  several ' '  lambing  out- 
fits ' ',  with  their  gypsy-like  camp  wagons,  in  the  Hole  at  the 
time  of  our  visit. 

The  walls  or  sides  of  the  Hole  are  of  Miocene  clay  deep- 
ly seamed  by  gulches  with  out- jutting  headlands  curiously 
weathered  into  castellated  buttes. 

In  one  of  these  buttes  was  the  site  of  the  nest  we  had 
come  to  find.  We  had  no  map  and  without  the  service  of  the 
guide  on  whose  assistance  we  had  counted,  the  search 
seemed  rather  hopeless.  But  the  excellent  series  of 
photographs  and  the  instructions  sent  by  my  original 
correspondent,  soon  enabled  us  to  locate  our  position  and 
the  day  after  our  arrival  the  nest  was  found  within  three 
hours  of  our  camp.  It  was  not  occupied,  but  this  was  not 
essential  to  the  accomplishment  of  our  purpose.  The  site 
was  photographed,  specimens  of  the  soft  clay-rock  collected, 
and  Mr.  Hittel,  the  artist,  made  studies  on  which  to  base  his 
painting  of  the  background.  Later,  a  new  Eagle 's  nest  was 
secured  in  the  Freeze  Out  Hills  and  introduced  into  the 
group  on  the  reproduced  Bates '  Hole  site. 

June  2,  we  left  Bates '  Hole  and  on  the  5th  took  the  train 
at  Medicine  Bow  for  California. 

This  trip  offered  no  opportunity  for  detailed  bird  study, 
but  I  add  some  notes  on  certain  of  the  birds  observed. 

It  was  interesting  to  find  that  the  little  patches  of  Doug- 
lass Spruce  which  appeared  on  the  sides  of  Bates'  Hole 
wherever  there  was  the  proper  amount  of  moisture,  were 
large  enough  to  hold  a  few  forest-haunting  birds;  Au- 
dubon's  Warblers,  Long-tailed  Chickadees,  Flycatchers 


240  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 


The  Golden  Eagle's  Nest 

(Empidonax]  and  Arctic  Bluebirds  being  seen  in  the  spruce 
islet  which  appears  in  the  foreground  of  the  Eagle's  nest 
picture. 

In  the  willows  bordering  Stinking  Creek,  a  pair  of  Mag- 
pies had  a  nest,  and  a  MacGillivray  Warbler  sang  its 
strongly  accented  song  of  seven  notes  from  the  shelter  of  a 
similar  growth  at  our  camp.  Here,  too,  were  a  few  Yellow 
Warblers  and  Mountain  Song  Sparrows.  A  Catbird  and 


A  GOLDEN  EAGLE'S  NEST  241 

female  Bobolink  seen  at  this  camp  seemed  strangely  out  of 
place  in  the  sage-brush. 

A  small  slough  at  Taylor's  Kanch  was  occupied  by  a 
pair  of  Pintails  and  a  pair  of  Shovellers.  One  morning  a 
female  Wilson's  Phalarope  dropped  into  it  to  feed  eagerly, 
gracefully,  with  quick  turns  of  the  head  to  right  or  left  and 
half  dives,  but  without  wholly  submerging  the  body. 

These  birds,  however,  were  as  local  and  incidental  as 
their  own  special  haunts,  and  the  characteristic  birds  of  the 
region  were  the  common  inhabitants  of  the  plains,  the 
Mountain  Plover,  Sage  Hen,  Mourning  Dove,  Burrowing 
Owl,  Shore  Lark,  Brewer's  Blackbird,  Western  Meadow- 
lark,  Chestnut-collared  Longspur,  Western  Vesper  Spar- 
row, Lark  Bunting,  and  Sage  Thrasher. 

Other  species  were  noted  but  these  were  the  character- 
giving  birds,  the  ones  almost  constantly  seen  or  heard  as  we 
drove  through  the  sage-brush. 

To  one  who  associates  Plover  with  the  sea-shore,  or  even 
grassy  prairies,  the  Mountain,  or  as  it  might  better  be 
called,  Plains  Plover,  seemed  singularly  out  of  place  amid 
the  sage-brush.  It  was  locally  common  and  by  no  means 
shy.  It  shares  with  others  of  its  family,  all  the  pretty 
Plover-like  tricks  and  mannerisms  of  rapid  running,  grace- 
ful movements  of  the  head,  and  dainty  folding  of  uplifted 
wings.  It  is  not  a  noisy  bird  like  the  Killdeer,  and  I  did  not 
often  hear  what  is  evidently  its  song ;  a  hoarse  croak  uttered 
several  times  as  the  bird  with  outstretched  wings  floated  to 
the  earth  from  a  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet. 

As  I  feared,  the  courtship  of  the  Sage  Hens  was  past, 
and  no  opportunity  was  offered  to  observe  the  remarkable 
mating  habits  of  this  great  bird.  The  females  were  sitting 
and  already  the  males  were  gathered  in  small  flocks  which 
were  very  difficult  to  approach.  Two  nests  were  found,  but 
both  had  been  raided  and  the  eggs  destroyed,  presumably 
by  coyotes. 


CACTUS  DESEET  BIRD-LIFE 

The  great  cactus-covered  deserts,  so  characteristic  of 
the  more  arid  portions  of  Mexico,  push  a  well-developed 
arm  northward  into  Arizona,  where  it  forms  too  marked  a 
feature  of  North  American  scenery  to  be  omitted  from  any 
series  of  representations  designed  to  include  at  least  the 
more  pronounced  types  of  our  landscape. 

Since  this  region  has  no  colonies  of  birds,  and  no  one 
bird  of  sufficient  size  to  be  treated  alone  in  a  group,  it  was 
decided  to  prepare  a  group  which  should  show  its  commoner 
birds  as  well  as  its  commoner  forms  of  vegetation. 

Tucson,  the  site  of  the  Desert  Botanical  Laboratory  of 
the  Carnegie  Institution,  was  selected  as  a  suitable  locality 
for  our  labors,  throughout  which  we  had  the  invaluable 
advice  of  Dr.  D.  T.  MacDougal,  the  Director  of  the  Labora- 
tory. 

We  were  fortunate  in  finding,  the  morning  after  our 
arrival,  on  May  9,  a  tent-house  completely  furnished,  from  a 
shower-bath  to  a  can-opener.  The  preparateur  of  our  party 
was  at  once  appropriately  installed  as  cook,  with  the  artist 
as  assistant,  while  the  ornithologist  acted  in  an  advisory 
capacity.  We  were  served  daily  by  the  butcher  and  baker, 
and  even  the  iceman,  and  in  addition  to  all  these  con- 
veniences and  material  comforts,  we  were  surrounded  by 
many  birds  and  plants  we  had  come  to  study. 

From  our  home  on  a  hillside,  about  a  mile  west  of  Tuc- 
son, we  had  a  grand  view  of  the  Santa  Cruz  Valley  with 
irrigated  alfalfa  fields  in  the  foreground,  the  city  in  the 
middle  distance,  and  the  beautifully  modelled  Santa  Cata- 
lina  Mountains  on  the  horizon. 

The  desert  vegetation  was  at  its  best,  and,  looking  out 
over  a  sea  of  variously  colored  and  luxuriant  blossoms,  it 


244  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

was  difficult  to  believe  that  we  were  not  in  a  land  of  great 
fertility. 

The  palo  verdes  (Parkins onia)  were  covered  with  such  a 
profusion  of  yellow  flowers  that  they  gave  a  yellow  tone  to 
the  landscape.  The  scarlet  blossoms  of  the  well-named 
candle  bush  (Fouquieria),  at  the  end  of  their  slender,  spiny 
and  generally  leafless  branches,  gleamed  like  little  tongues 
of  fire.  The  great  leaves  of  the  wide-branching,  prickly  pear 
cactus  (Opuntia  engelmanni)  were  often  fringed  with  large, 
pale  yellow  blossoms  which,  toward  evening,  became  a  deli- 
cate shade  of  butt'.  A  cylindrical-leaved  cactus  of  the  same 
genus  (O.  versicolor)  developed  a  confusing  tangle  of  intri- 
cate growing  branches,  and  a  correspondingly  large  number 
of  yellow,  mahogany,  and  scarlet  flowers.  Opuntia  spinosior 
bore  magenta  blossoms,  while  those  of  Opuntia  cholla  were 
pink,  but,  unlike  the  two  species  first  mentioned,  neither  was 
in  full  bloom. 

To  eastern  eyes,  the  giant  cactus  (Cereus  giganteus] 
was  the  most  striking  type  of  plant-life.  The  drier,  more 
rocky  slopes  were,  in  places,  thickly  grown  with  its  candela- 
bra-like forms,  some  of  which  attained  a  height  of  forty 
feet.  The  white,  waxy,  tubular  flowers  appeared  in  a  cluster 
at  the  end  of  the  branches,  where  they  opened  toward  the 
sun.  As  virtually  the  only  form  of  vegetation  suitable  for 
hole-nesting  birds,  this  cactus  is  possessed  of  an  especial 
interest  to  the  ornithologist.  Few  specimens  of  any  size  are 
without  one  or  more  Woodpecker's  holes;  the  Gilded 
Flicker  being  apparently  so  dependent  on  this  kind  of  nest- 
ing-site that  is  not  found  where  the  giant  cactus  is  absent. 
The  Elf  Owl  also  is  known  to  nest  only  in  this  cactus,  using 
the  old  Woodpecker  holes.  Several  species  of  birds,  notably 
the  White-winged  Dove,  were  seen  apparently  probing  the 
Cereus  flowers,  but  just  what  they  obtained  I  did  not  learn. 

Except  along  the  "washes",  where  mesquite  grew 
abundantly,  there  was  no  shade ;  no  murmuring  of  leaves. 
The  rigid,  thorny  vegetation  was  rendered  attractive  only 


CACTUS  DESERT  BIRD-LIFE  245 

by  the  peculiarity  of  its  form  and  the  beauty  of  its  blossoms. 

During  the  ten  days  of  our  stay,  the  mercury  ranged 
from  48  degrees  at  5  A.  MV  to  103  degrees  in  the  early  after- 
noon ;  going  below  60  degrees  and  over  90  degrees  daily. 
But  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  our  tent  was  poorly  adapted  for 
this  kind  of  weather,  we  suffered  but  little  from  the  heat.  It 
was  the  surprising  dryness  of  the  climate  which  most  im- 
pressed us.  No  matter  how  violent  the  exertion  it  was 
impossible  to  perspire.  Even  draught  horses  did  not  wet  a 
hair,  and  a  ridge  of  salt  on  their  coat  bore  testimony  to  the 
rapidity  of  evaporation.  We  were  almost  constantly  thirsty 
and  consumed  quantities  of  water,  never  leaving  camp  with- 
out a  filled  canteen. 

Judged  from  its  inflorescence,  vegetation  was  at  the 
height  of  its  spring  development,  closely  corresponding, 
indeed,  to  conditions  at  the  same  season  near  New  York 
City ;  but  considered  from  only  an  ornithological  standpoint, 
the  season  was  more  advanced.  The  song  of  some  birds  had 
evidently  waned.  The  Cactus  Wrens  had  already  reared 
one  brood,  only  one  nest,  among  scores  seen,  containing 
young;  and  many  nests  of  Palmer's  Thrasher  contained 
young  nearly  ready  to  fly.  I  regretted  not  hearing  this 
species  at  the  height  of  its  season  of  spring  song,  for  it  is 
evidently  a  musician  of  exceptional  gifts. 

Experience  leads  us  to  expect  Wrens  to  be  highly  musi- 
cal, when,  judged  from  its  size,  the  Cactus  Wren  would  rank 
first  among  the  many  sweet  singers  of  its  family,  but  its 
repertoire  appears  tobelimited  to  harsh,  scolding  notes,  and 
one  is  attracted  only  by  the  trimness  of  its  appearance,  the 
vigor  of  its  actions,  and  its  ability  as  a  nest-builder. 

Both  Thrasher  and  Wren  almost  invariably  placed  their 
nests  in  Opuntia  cholla,  the  most  spiny  of  the  cactuses  and, 
with  the  Thrasher  particularly,  it  was  difficult  to  under- 
stand how  the  bird  went  to  and  from  its  home  without 
becoming  impaled. 

These  two  birds  were  abundant  near  our  camp  where 


246  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

other  characteristic  species  were  Gambel's  Partridge, 
Mourning  and  White-winged  Doves,  Turkey  Vulture, 
Western  Bed-tail,  Boadrunner,  Golden-fronted  Wood- 
pecker, Gilded  and  Bed-shafted  Flickers,  Poor-will  (Phalce- 
noptilus  subsp.),  Texas  Nighthawk,  Arizona  Crested  Fly- 
catcher, Scott 's  Oriole,  House  Finch,  Desert  Black-throated 
Sparrow,  Arizona  Cardinal,  White-rumped  Shrike,  Canon 
Wren,  Verdin  and  Plumbeous  Gnatcatcher. 


Palmer's  Thrasher  Approaching  Nest  in  Cholla 

The  Texas  Nighthawk  seemed  more  like  a  Whip-poor- 
will  than  Nighthawk.  Its  food-flight  was  comparatively 
short  and  rarely  twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  Even  less 
nighthawk-like  were  its  singular,  murmuring,  humming 
notes,  like  the  sound  of  winnowing  wings. 

An  intimate  study  of  the  home-life  of  the  Boadrunner, 


CACTUS  DESERT  BIRD-LIFE 


Palmer's  Thrasher  Cleansing  Nest  in  Cholla 

could  not  fail  to  develop  facts  of  unusual  interest,  and  I 
searched  long  but  unsuccessfully  for  a  nest  of  this  bird  of 
pronounced  characteristics.  The  mounted  birds  in  the 
photograph  of  the  group,  illustrate  very  well  its  appear- 
ance in  motion  and  at  rest.  The  bird  in  the  background, 
with  lowered  head  and  horizontal  tail,  is  running  as  only  a 
Eoadrunner  can ;  while  the  one  in  the  foreground  represents 
a  pose  assumed  when  the  bird's  body  stops  and  the  tail  ap- 
pears to  go  on. 

The  Koadrunner  is  not  usually  credited  with  much  vocal 
ability,  but  at  times  it  mounts  to  a  low  perch  and,  with  tail 
drooped  like  a  Thrasher's,  utters  a  low,  moaning,  pervasive 


248 


THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 


coo.     A  chittering  note,  possibly  of  alarm,  is  produced  by  a 
rapid  striking  of  the  mandibles. 

From  May  14  to  17,  we  camped  at  the  mouth  of  Pima 
Canon,  in  the  Santa  Catalina  Mountains,  about  twelve  miles 
from  Tucson.  After  crossing  the  sandy  bed  of  the  Santa 
Cruz  Valley,  where  the  creosote  bush  (Covillea)  now  cov- 
ered with  innumerable  little  downy,  white  seed-balls,  was 


Mourning  Dove  Nesting  in  Cholla 

the  prevailing  plant,  we  ascended  the  rocky  mesa  where  the 
various  species  of  cactus  grow  more  luxuriantly  than  we 
had  found  them  in  the  vicinity  of  Tucson.  Birds,  too,  were 
more  abundant  and  we  added  a  number  of  species  to  the  list 
of  those  observed  about  the  city. 

About  a  mile  above  our  camp,  excellent  water  could  still 
be  found  in  a  stream  flowing  through  and  over  the  rocks  in 
the  bottom  of  the  canon,  and  this  proved  a  source  of  attrac- 
tion to  many  species  of  birds. 

Morning  and  evening  an  almost  continuous  flight  of 
Mourning  and  White-winged  Doves  passed  our  camp  in 
going  from  the  desert  to  the  water,  up  the  canon  and  back 


CACTUS  DESERT  BIRD-LIFE  249 

again.  Both  birds  nested  commonly  in  the  dense  growth  on 
the  mesa ;  the  Mourning  Doves  in  the  cholla,  the  White- 
winged  in  the  palo  verde,  and  the  soft  cooing  of  the  former 
and  vigorous,  cookeree,  cookeree,  coo-ree-coo,  cook-coo,  ree- 
coo,  cook-coo,  ree-coo  were  among  the  commonest  bird  notes 
about  our  camp. 

As  we  lay  rolled  in  our  blankets,  in  the  early  morning, 
Gambel 's  Partridges  crowed  from  the  near-by  bushes  or 
chattered  conversationally,  as  with  nodding  crests  they  ran 
gracefully  about  us.  Cardinals  and  Canon  Wrens  whistled, 
Cactus  Wrens  scolded  and,  occasionally  there  was  an  out- 
burst of  Thrasher  or  Mockingbird  music. 

Less  welcome  neighbors  were  the  little  striped  skunks 
which  at  night  frolicked  about  the  camp  and  rummaged 
among  our  provisions,  without  our  daring  to  resent  their  fa- 
miliarity. 

The  Gila  monster  was  also  an  inhabitant  of  the  canon ; 
the  artist  brought  one  to  our  camp  in  his  umbrella,  but  it 
refused  to  partake  of  our  hospitality  and  escaped  during  the 
night. 

One  evening,  when  the  canon  was  in  shadow  and  the  sun 
still  illumined  the  mountain  tops,  a  coyote,  following  the 
wind,  ran  up  the  bed  of  the  stream,  almost  reaching  me 
before  he  seemed  aware  of  my  presence.  Then  he  leaped 
lightly  up  the  steep  slope.  Twice  he  paused  and  whined 
anxiously,  then  bounded  behind  a  rock  and  disappeared ;  a 
pitiful,  gaunt,  worn,  seemingly  homeless  creature. 

The  making  of  this  cactus  desert  group  called  for  un- 
limited skill  and  patience  on  the  part  of  the  preparateur. 
Every  joint  of  cactus  it  contains  is  a  facsimile  reproduction 
of  the  original,  and  is  made  from  a  mould. 

Before  making  casts  of  each  section  of  an  Opuntia  or  of 
the  small  Cereus  appearing  at  the  left  of  the  group  and  the 
larger  barrel  cactus  (Echino cactus)  at  the  right,  it  was  nec- 
essary to  remove  carefully,  one  at  a  time,  every  one  of  the 
hundreds  of  spines  with  which  they  are  covered.  After  the 


250  THREE  WESTERN  BIRD  GROUPS 

cast  had  been  taken  from  the  mould  (the  species  of  Opuntia 
in  wax,  the  others  in  plaster)  they  were  colored  from  our 
field  studies  of  growing  plants,  and  the  spines  were  then  re- 
placed—an almost  endless  task. 

Doubtless  the  best  comment  on  the  measure  of  success 
attained  in  this  work  was  furnished  by  a  member  of  the 
Botanical  Laboratory  staff  who,  after  inspecting  the  finish- 
ed group  with  the  utmost  care,  declared  his  inability  to  de- 
termine whether  the  plants  were  real  or  not ! 


Barrel  Cactus 


PART    VI. 
BIRD  STUDIES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

THE  COASTAL  MOUNTAINS  AT  PIRU 
THE  COAST  AT  MONTEREY 

THE    FARALLONES 

THE  SAN  JOAQUIN  VALLEY  AT  LOS  BANGS 

LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE 

THE  SIERRAS 


Redwoods  in  the  Armstrong  Grove 
Sonoma  County,  July  14,  1906 


BIRD  STUDIES  IN  CALIFORNIA 
INTRODUCTORY 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  of  California  descriptively  with- 
out using  superlatives.  If  not  the  largest  state  in  the  Union 
it  is  at  least  the  longest ;  770  miles  separating  its  northern 
and  southern  boundaries;  it  has  the  highest  mountain  (Mt. 
Whitney,  alt.  14,501  ft.)  and  the  greatest  depression  (Sal- 
ton  Sink,  287  ft.  below  sea  level).  It  has  a  rainfall  as  low 
and  nearly  as  high,  as  that  of  any  other  part  of  the  Union. 
Owing,  therefore,  to  its  great  extent,  its  diversified 
topography  and  its  extremes  of  temperature  and  of  aridity 
and  humidity,  California  is  a  land  of  perpetual  snow  and 
endless  summer ;  of  barren  deserts  and  luxuriant  forests ;  of 
wide-stretching  plains  and  majestic  mountains ;  of  expan- 
sive marshes  and  bold,  rocky,  islet-beset  coast-lines. 

In  consequence  of  these  widely  varying  climatic  and 
physiographic  conditions,  California  is  admirably  fitted  to 
support  an  exceptionally  rich  fauna.  Among  birds,  some 
five  hundred  species  and  subspecies,  or  nearly  one-half  the 
number  known  from  America  north  of  Mexico,  have  been  re- 
corded from  this  single  state. 

However,  it  is  not  only  to  the  favorable  conditions  just 
outlined,  but  also  to  its  geographical  position  that  Califor- 
nia owes  its  abounding  bird-life.  The  mountains  which  enter 
it  from  the  north  form  an  effective  pathway  for  the  exten- 
sion southward  of  many  boreal  species ;  while  at  its  south- 
ern border,  both  mountains  and  deserts  have  proved  gate- 
ways through  which  have  entered  species  from  temperate 
as  well  as  from  tropical  Mexico. 

The  Great  Basin,  which  encroaches  on  California's  east- 
ern frontier,  gives  to  it  such  characteristic  interior  species 


254  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

as  the  Sage  Hen  and  American  Magpie.  On  the  western 
boundary  of  the  state,  an  extended  coast-line  adds  a  large 
number  of  aquatic  species  to  its  list  of  birds,  many  of  which 
find  suitable  nesting  places  on  the  numerous  islands  off  the 
coast. 

California,  therefore,  has  not  only  been  given  an  unus- 
ually large  share  of  the  world's  assets  in  bird-life,  but  she 
has  made  the  most  of  her  resources.  In  the  absence  of  gla- 
ciers, except  at  high  altitudes,  the  climate  of  the  state  has 
not  suffered  those  changes  which  have  so  profoundly  affect- 
ed the  fauna  of  the  once  ice-covered  areas  farther  east.  The 
most  distinct,  and  possibly  therefore  some  of  the  oldest 
types  of  American  land  birds  still  exist  in  California.  The 
Wren-Tit,  for  example,  which  is  practically  restricted  to  the 
state,  is  the  only  North  American  bird  for  which  an  inde- 
pendent family  has  been  suggested.  Furthermore,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  preservation  of  these  older  types,  California  has 
made  birds  of  her  own.  In  no  other  part  of  America,  possi- 
bly in  no  other  part  of  the  world,  have  widely  varying  cli- 
matic influences,  aided  by  sharply  defined  physiographic 
areas,  so  strongly  impressed  themselves  on  a  fauna.  East  of 
the  Rockies,  where  comparatively  uniform  conditions  pre- 
vail, there  is,  for  example,  only  one  well-marked  form  of  the 
Song  Sparrow ;  but  in  California  there  are  fourteen.  Non- 
migratory,  and  inhabiting  alike  dry  and  moist  regions, 
plains  and  mountains,  marshes  and  outlying  islands,  the 
species  readily  responds  to  these  strikingly  different  envir- 
onments. This  is  only  one  case  among  many,  not  alone  with 
birds,  but  with  lower  as  well  as  higher  types  of  life,  and  eth- 
nologists tell  us  that  more  linguistic  stocks  have  been  devel- 
oped among  the  Indians  of  California,  than  in  all  the  rest  of 
the  country. 

Broadly  speaking,  the  leading  physiographic  areas  of 
California,  from  east  to  west,  are  the  eastern  desert,  the 
Sierras,  the  interior  valley,  the  coastal  mountains  and  the 
coast. 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES  255 

The  eastern  desert  area,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
state,  is  composed  mainly  of  the  Colorado  and  Mohave  des- 
erts and  extends  from  two-thirds  to  three-fourths  the  way 
across  the  state,  being  bounded  on  the  west  by  detached  des- 
ert mountain  ranges.  This  is  an  area  of  excessive  aridity 
with,  in  places,  an  annual  rainfall  of  not  more  than  two 
inches.  Northward,  the  desert  area,  now  the  western  mar- 
gin of  the  Great  Basin,  becomes  a  narrow  strip  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sierras,  but  at  its  northern  extreme,  broadens  to  nearly 
half  the  width  of  the  state. 

The  Sierras  form  a  wall  from  70  to  100  miles  wide  and 
about  500  miles  long  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  state,  extend- 
ing from  Lassen  Peak  in  the  north  to  Tejon  Pass  on  the 
south.  From  the  sun-scorched  deserts  at  the  east,  or  more 
fertile  valleys  at  the  west,  they  rise  through  a  succession  of 
forest  growths  to  alpine  meadows  and  snow-covered  sum- 
mits, with  correspondingly  wide  diversity  in  bird-life. 

The  Sierras  mark  the  eastern  boundary  of  California's 
great  interior  valley,  which  is  enclosed  on  the  west  by  the 
Coast  Range.  This — the  Sacramento  Valley  at  the  north 
and  San  Joaquin  Valley  at  the  south— is  a,  generally  speak- 
ing, level  area  some  500  miles  long,  and  averaging  40  miles 
wide.  It  is  devoted  to  grain  and  grazing.  The  interior  val- 
ley is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Coast  Range,  which  ex- 
tends from  the  Santa  Barbara  region  northward  the  whole 
length  of  the  state,  with  a  conspicuous  break  at  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay.  Heavily  forested  in  its  northern  portion,  it  is 
comparatively  arid  south  of  Pacific  Grove  and,  in  the  dry 
summer  season,  its  golden  brown  hill-slopes  are  one  of  the 
characteristic  features  of  the  state 's  scenery.  By  no  means 
so  high  as  the  Sierras,  the  Coast  Range  mountains  do  not 
reach  above  the  timberline  and  no  alpine  birds  are  found  in 
them. 

To  the  west  of  the  Coast  Range,  lies  the  coastal  strip  of 
valleys  and  hills,  parallel  to  the  mountains.  In  northern  Cal- 
ifornia, where  the  land  temperature  is  lower  than  the  sea 


256  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

temperature,  the  prevailing,  moisture-laden,  westerly  air 
currents  are  condensed,  with  a  resulting  heavy  rainfall,  (60 
to  80  inches  annually),  and  a  consequent  luxuriant  forest 
growth.  This  is  the  region  of  the  redwoods.  In  southern 
California,  while  the  prevailing  winds  are  still  off  the  ocean, 
they  meet  a  usually  higher  land  temperature ;  condensation 
rarely  follows  and  the  rainfall  averages  only  from  10  to  20 
inches  annually. 

Finally,  there  are  the  islands  off  the  coast.  On  the  larger 
ones,  between  twenty  and  thirty  species  of  land  birds  have 
been  found  nesting.  In  many  instances,  as  a  result  of  insu- 
lar isolation,  they  have  become  sufficiently  changed  from  the 
mainland  stock  to  be  described  as  new  races  or  species.  The 
smaller  islands,  some  of  which  are  mere  rocks,  are  often  the 
home  of  great  gatherings  of  sea-birds. 

My  own  experience  in  this  great  territory,  so  roughly 
outlined,  was  gained  between  the  dates  May  12  and  July  4, 
1903;  June  8  and  July  18, 1906.  Obviously  this  is  too  limited 
a  period  to  permit  me  to  speak  with  authority  of  the  bird- 
life  of  any  part  of  California.  I  have,  however,  seen  enough 
of  the  state  to  be  impressed  by  the  opportunities  it  offers  to 
the  ornithologist ;  and  it  is  this  impression,  together  with 
some  appreciation  of  California's  manifold  attractions  for 
the  nature  lover,  to  which  it  is  hoped  this  sketch  will  give 
form. 

THE  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  STATE 

Whether  naturalist  or  tourist,  one  should  enter  Califor- 
nia through  its  deserts,  from  Arizona ;  reserving  the  Sierras 
as  a  climax  to  his  journey  through  the  state. 

If  traveling  on  the  Southern  Pacific  railway,  a  stop  may 
be  made  at  Yuma,  on  the  Arizona  side  of  the  Colorado  River. 
I  have  never  visited  a  more  barren  place.  The  creosote  bush 
was  almost  the  only  vegetation  on  the  mesa,  and  this  grew 
sparsely,  while  an  occasional  Shore  Lark  was  the  only  bird 
seen  on  a  morning's  outing. 

In  the  willows  of  the  river  bottom,  birds  are  more  com- 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


257 


mon,  among  them  being  numbers  of  Desert  Song  Sparrows, 
which,  with  haunts  not  unlike  those  our  Eastern  Song  Spar- 
row often  frequents,  is  still  the  palest  form  among  some 
twenty  races  of  this  plastic  species ;  evidently  it  owes  its 
colors  to  the  direct  action  of  the  aridity  of  its  environment, 
and  not  to  a  natural  selection  which  has  brought  it  into  a 
fancied  harmony  with  its  immediate  surroundings. 


Tree  Yuccas  at  Hesperia 

To  the  westward  one  should  pause  on  the  borders  of  the 
lately  formed  and  now  disappearing  Salton  Sea,  in  which 
White  Pelicans  have  taken  possession  of  an  island ;  or,  still 
farther  west,  to  observe  the  effects  of  irrigation  on  bird  as 
well  as  plant-life  of  the  Imperial  Valley.  The  desert  range 
is  here  crossed  through  the  San  Gorgonio  Pass,  where  the 
rush  of  wind  from  the  Pacific  to  the  heated  deserts  creates 
a  sand-blast  from  which  the  telegraph  poles  must  be  pro- 
tected. 


258  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

If  the  Santa  Fe  route  be  selected,  the  tourist  should  stop 
at  the  Needles  on  the  Colorado  Eiver.  West  of  the  Needles, 
one  should  see  the  tree  yuccas  of  the  Mohave  Desert.  Our 
American  Ornithologists '  Union  party  passed  the  morning 
of  May  12, 1903,  among  them,  at  Hesperia. 

Even  a  few  hours  amid  distinctly  novel  surroundings  is 
sometimes  sufficient  to  impress  one  with  their  salient  fea- 
tures, and  the  bristling  yuccas,  often  topped  by  Cactus 
Wrens,  the  abundance  of  flowers  and  birds,  the  distant 
snow-ridged  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  still  stand  clear- 
cut  in  my  memory. 

Such  an  experience  prepares  one  to  realize  the  effects  of 
irrigation  which  are  encountered,  after  journeying  through 
the  Cajon  Pass,  about  San  Bernadino,  Redlands  and  River- 
side, with  their  beautiful  gardens,  extensive  orange  groves, 
eucalyptus  and  pepper-bordered  avenues,  vocal  with  the 
songs  of  innumerable  birds,  chiefly  Goldfinches,  (Spinus 
psaltria)  and  Linnets,  (Carpodacus  mexicanus  frontalis). 

The  visiting  ornithologist  now  has  an  inviting  field  be- 
fore him.  Possibly  he  could  not  do  better  than  to  settle 
down  for  a  time  in  the  vicinity  of  Los  Angeles  where  the 
proximity  of  sea  and  mountain  will  enable  him  to  cover 
readily  a  widely  diversified  territory.  My  only  field  work 
in  this  part  of  the  state  was  pursued  somewhat  farther 
north,  near  Piru. 


THE  COASTAL  MOUNTAINS  AT  PIRU 

Piru  is  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  Ventura  County, 
somewhat  over  fifty  miles  by  air-line  from  Santa  Barbara. 
I  visited  this  region  from  June  14  to  20,  1906,  to  examine 
the  site  of  a  California  Condor 's  nest  from  which,  two  years 
before,  a  young  bird  had  been  taken  for  the  zoological 
garden  at  Washington.  The  bird  had  been  secured  by  a 
ranchman  named  Whittaker,  a  man  of  varied  interests.  In 
the  Piru  Valley  he  raised  oranges  and  apricots ;  sixteen 
miles  up  Piru  Creek  at  its  junction  with  the  Agua  Blanca, 
he  had  a  bee  ranch,  where  the  occupants  of  hundreds  of 
hives  were  daily  adding  700  pounds  of  honey  to  his  and 
their  resources ;  six  or  eight  miles  further  up  the  Agua 
Blanca,  at  an  altitude  of  about  1500  feet,  in  the  Devil's 
Potrero,  he  had  established  a  thrifty  looking  apple  orchard 
which  had  yielded  prize  fruit. 

Whittaker  gracefully  accepted  the  office  of  guide  which 
our  unexpected  appearance  imposed  upon  him.  He  sup- 
plied a  team,  assisted  in  the  selection  of  provisions,  added  a 
liberal  supply  of  oranges,  which  we  picked  off  his  trees,  and 
drove  us  up  the  Piru  to  the  bee  ranch,  crossing  and  recross- 
ing  the  flood-swept  creek  bottom,  and  winding  through  the 
scrub-covered  grazing  land,  where  an  occasional  Eoad  Run- 
ner was  seen. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  reached  a  picturesque  little  cab- 
in, almost  hidden  in  the  great  live  oaks ;  as  charming  a  home 
as  though  it  had  been  prepared  for  our  coming.  The  Agua 
Blanca,  clear  as  its  name  implies,  flowed  rapidly  past  our 
door  to  join  the  more  turbid  Piru  a  hundred  yards  beyond. 
All  about  were  the  rounded  mountain  tops.  The  place  was 
alive  with  birds.  One  pair  of  Linnets  had  a  nest  in  the 
house  and  another  had  built  on  a  canteen  hanging  beneath 


260 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


tern 


Piru  Canon 
The  site  of  the  Condor's  nest  is  above  the  horseman 


the  porch  At  daybreak  one  morning,  a  coyote  was  seen 
gathering  scraps  at  our  door  step,  but  I  watched  in  vain  for 
a  repetition  of  the  visit. 

The  site  of  the  Condor's  nest  was  distant  five  miles  up 
the  Piru.  We  reached  it  on  horseback  the  next  morning, 
following  the  stream  all  the  way ;  now  on  narrow  paths  worn 
in  the  steep  banks,  now  over  and  around  great  boulders, 
now  in  the  bed  of  the  creek  itself,  where  we  had  several  con- 
fidence shaking  experiences  with  quicksand. 

Gold  was  first  found  in  California  on  the  Piru,  and  the 
creek  has  had  its  share  of  the  romance  and  tragedy  of  min- 


THE  MOUNTAINS  AT  PIRU  261 

ing ;  such  events  as  came  within  Whittaker  's  experience  he 
recounted  to  us,  as  an  abandoned  claim,  deserted  cabin,  or 
thicket-grown  grave  stirred  his  memory. 

The  Condor's  home  was  in  a  narrow  canon  with  walls 
some  200  feet  in  height,  of  conglomerate  rock,  polished  by 
the  rush  of  waters  at  the  base  of  the  canon,  like  mosaic.  The 
birds  had  lived — they  build  no  nest  - — in  a  cave  some  50 
feet  from  the  top  of  the  canon  and  150  feet  from  the  bottom. 
This  they  had  occupied  for  a  number  of  years  and  probably 
would  have  been  nesting  there  now  if  the  inevitable  ' '  man 
with  a  rifle ' '  had  not  tested  his  gun  on  one  of  the  pair. 
Doubtless  he  considered  the  shot  successful  and  the  bird 
was  left  where  it  fell ;  to  be  carried  away  later  by  high 
water.  While  I  was  climbing  up  the  more  sloping  wall  of 
the  canon  to  photograph  the  cave-entrance,  a  pair  of  Con- 
dors, the  first  I  had  ever  seen  in  nature,  swept  majestically 
overhead,  near  enough  to  impress  me  not  only  with  their 
great  size,  but  with  their  personality.  We  hoped  that  they 
might  prove  to  be  in  possession  of  the  old  nest-site,  but  they 
soon  passed  out  of  view  over  an  adjoining  mountain  and 
were  seen  no  more. 

The  following  day,  Mr.  Hittell  returned  to  the  canon  to 
complete  his  sketch,  braving  the  quicksands  of  the  Piru 
unaccompanied,  while  Mrs.  Chapman  and  I,  under  the 
leadership  of  Whittaker,  went  up  the  Agua  Blanca  to  see 
the  site  of  a  second  Condor's  nest.  This  proved  to  be  a 
small  cave,  about  100  feet  from  the  top  of  a  vertical  cliff 
some  500  feet  in  height.  The  surroundings  being  far  less 
susceptible  of  treatment  in  group  form  than  the  Piru  canon 
site,  no  attempt  was  made  to  examine  this  nest,  and  we  con- 
tinued our  journey  to  the  ranch  in  the  Devil's  Potrero. 

The  country  was  wilder  than  that  visited  the  preceding 
day,  the  trail  rougher,  and  on  reaching  an  exceptionally  pic- 
turesque canon,  known  as  the  Devil 's  Gate,  we  dismounted 
to  clamber  over  the  rocks,  while  Whittaker  led  the  horses  a 
mile  or  more  around  through  the  woods. 


262  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

I  was  interested  to  find  here  hundreds  of  chattering 
White-throated  Swifts.  Many  were  nesting  in  holes  in  the 
walls  of  the  canon,  some  near  the  top,  at  a  height  of  150 
feet,  others  almost  within  reach. 


, 

HKlte?:- 


Leaving  the  Potrero 

Once  through  the  Devil's  Gate — which  leads  to  a  far 
more  beautiful  country  than  its  name  would  imply — we  left 
the  sparkling  Agua  Blanca  to  follow  Potrero  Creek  through 
a  narrow  gorge  densely  grown  with  live-oaks  and  luxuriant 
ferns,  up  a  trail  so  steep  that  the  horses  often  paused  to 
breathe,  and  in  half  an  hour  we  reached  the  Potrero  itself, 
a  wooded  valley  enclosed  by  mountains  on  every  side  but 
the  one  through  which  we  had  entered. 

Here  the  great  live-oaks  sheltered  another  cabin,  all  fur- 
nished and  ready  for  occupation,  when  once  we  dispos- 


THE  MOUNTAINS  AT  PIRU  263 

sessed  the  mice,  spiders  and  sundry  other  tenants.  Potrero 
Creek  sprang  from  a  bubbling  spring  in  the  valley  and 
formed  a  small  pond  before  the  cabin  in  which,  like  Barn 
Swallows,  the  White-throated  Swifts  bathed ;  at  dusk  the 
Poor-wills  called  from  its  shores,  and  at  night  an  Owl 
hooted  from  the  oaks  overhead.  Its  voice  resembled  that  of 
the  Barred  Owl  but  was  higher  and,  in  place  of  two  long 
notes  followed  by  two  short  ones,  the  first  and  fourth  notes 
were  long,  the  second  and  third  short.  I  supposed  it  to  be 
the  Spotted  Owl,  (Strix  occidentalis),ihe  only  one  I  have 
ever  heard. 

Arkansas  Kingbirds,  Ash-throated  Flycatchers,  West- 
ern Wood  Pewees,  Western  Flycatchers,  (young  leaving  the 
nest),  Arizona  Hooded  Orioles,  House  Finches  or  Linnets, 
Arkansas  Goldfinches,  Heermann's  Song  Sparrows,  Black- 
headed  Grosbeaks,  Spurred  and  Anthony's  Towhees,  Lazuli 
Buntings,  Western  Tanagers,  Hutton's,  Swainson's  and 
Cassin's  Vireos,  Phainopeplas,  Yellow,  and  Black-throated 
Gray  Warblers,  (feeding  young),  Vigor's  and  Parkman's 
Wrens,  Western  Gnatcatchers  and  Western  Bluebirds  were 
the  common  birds  of  the  valley,  and  in  the  canons  Dotted 
Canon  Wrens  were  numerous  and  Eock  Wrens  not 
infrequent. 

Our  stay  in  the  Potrero  was  made  memorable  not  only 
by  the  seclusion  of  our  camp  and  charm  of  its  surroundings, 
with  its  abounding  bird-life,  but  by  the  daily  sight  of  the 
great  Condors  in  which  I  was  especially  interested.  On  the 
afternoon  of  our  arrival,  no  less  than  seven  of  the  splendid 
birds  were  in  view  at  one  time,  sailing  high  above  the  moun- 
tains. They  were  readily  identified  by  their  white  under 
wing-coverts ;  but  when  they  were  too  far  away,  or  too  low 
for  this  conspicuous  character  to  be  discerned  I  could  not 
distinguish  them,  with  certainty,  from  Turkey  Vultures 
unless  they  chanced  to  be  associated  with  that  species,  when 
they  could  at  once  be  known  by  their  larger  size.  When  the 
two  were  seen  flying  together,  the  Condor  appeared  to  be 


264 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


more  stately  in  its  movements.  It  did  not  veer  so  often,  or 
trim  its  sails  to  the  wind  as  the  Vulture  does ;  but,  carrying 
more  ballast,  was  steadier  in  the  air.  The  Condor's  tail  is 
evidently  shorter  than  the  Vulture's,  but  in  other  respects 
the  birds  looked  much  alike.  When  perched  in  the  same 
tree  the  Condor  seemed  to  be  fully  three  times  larger  than 
its  less  distinguished  relative. 


Turkey  Vultures  and  Burro 

A  burro  of  Whittaker  's,  which  chanced  to  die  at  this 
time,  was  exposed  on  a  hill-top  overlooking  the  valley,  with 
a  hope  that  it  might  attract  the  Condors.  For  three 
mornings  I  watched  it  from  a  very  carefully  concealed 
blind,  but  although  the  Condors  evidently  saw  the  feast, 
they  were  too  wary  to  partake  of  it.  I  awaited  some  evi- 
dence of  their  interest  in  the  bait  before  going  to  the  blind, 
which  was  already  in  position ;  but  the  burro  had  been  dead 
nearly  forty-eight  hours  before  the  Condors  were  attracted 
to  it.  After  a  prolonged  reconnoisance,  during  which  it 


THE  MOUNTAINS  AT  PIRU  265 

sailed  low  over  the  cabin  many  times,  giving  us  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  admire  its  sweep  of  wing,  a  Condor  finally 
perched  in  a  dead  tree  near  the  carcass.  Assured  that  I  had 
now  only  to  hide  in  the  blind  to  secure  short-range  studies 
of  it,  I  climbed  to  the  hill-top ;  but  on  my  appearance  the 
bird  at  once  took  flight  and  with  at  least  two  others,  which 
were  circling  overhead,  disappeared.  This  was  at  9 :30  A. 
M.  and  although  I  waited  for  six  hours,  it  did  not  return. 

The  two  following  days,  I  entered  the  blind  before  day- 
break, but  the  place  seemed  to  possess  no  further  attraction 
for  the  Condors.  That  the  birds  are  not  always  so  shy, 
however,  has  been  emphatically  shown  by  Mr.  W.  L.  Fin- 
ley's  studies  of  a  pair  which  at  this  same  season  were 
nesting  near  Pasadena,  some  fifty  miles  away.  (The  Cen- 
tury, Vol.  LXVV,  1908,  p.  370;  The  Condor,  Vols.  VIII,  X.) 

The  Turkey  Vultures  about  the  Potrero  were  less  suspi- 
cious than  the  Condors ;  but  to  one  accustomed  to  their  semi- 
domesticated  condition  in  many  of  the  towns  of  our  south- 
ern states,  it  was  not  a  little  surprising  to  find  that  here, 
where  they  did  not  look  to  man  for  their  food,  they  enter- 
tained a  marked  fear  of  him. 

The  day  after  the  burro 's  death,  about  twenty  Turkey 
Vultures  gathered  in  the  dead  tree  near  the  animal's  body 
and  occasionally  flew  over  it,  but  without  once  alighting. 
The  following  day,  when  the  Condors  appeared,  six  or  eight 
Vultures  were  perched  on  the  burro,  but,  with  the  Condor, 
they  flew  at  my  approach,  and  not  a  Vulture  returned  that 
day.  Even  when  I  had  concealed  myself  in  the  blind  before 
they  were  a- wing,  they  showed  extreme  caution  in  coming  to 
the  carcass.  The  first  rays  of  the  sun  touched  the  brown, 
oak-dotted  hillside  at  4 :50,  and  ten  minutes  later  the  earli- 
est Vulture  was  seen ;  but  although  the  repast  must  have 
been  tempting,  an  hour  and  a  half  passed  before  they  ven- 
tured to  come  to  it.  During  this  period,  they  sailed  to  and 
fro,  cautiously  inspecting  the  surroundings,  or  perched  in 
the  dead  tree  near  by.  Nothing  about  the  blind  could  pos- 


266 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


sibly  have  alarmed  them,  and  their  actions  were  evidently 
due  to  pure  wariness. 

One  morning,  just  as  the  sun  flooded  the  distant  hills 
with  mellow  light,  a  pair  of  pointed  ears  were  seen  erected 
over  the  burro 's  gray  hide  and,  a  moment  later,  a  coyote's 
head  appeared  from  below  the  hillcrest.  Coming  up  the 
wind,  his  nose  led  him  to  a  tempting  breakfast ;  but  mingled 
with  the  appetizing  odors  was  one  to  be  feared.  He  licked 
his  lips  wistfully ;  then  discretion  got  the  better  of  hunger, 
and  turning,  he  disappeared  down  the  hill. 


THE  COAST  AT  MONTEREY 

A  variety  of  causes  has  made  Monterey  famous  among 
students  of  Pacific  Coast  bird-life.  Monterey  Bay,  a  broad 
arm  of  the  sea,  is  at  certain  seasons  frequented  by  many 
kinds  of  water  birds,  including  such  pelagic  species  as  the 
Short-tailed  Albatross,  Fulmars,  and  Shearwaters.  Pond- 
dotted  marshes  with  inflowing  streams,  meadows,  deciduous 
woodlands,  suggestive  of  a  more  eastern  landscape,  and  a 
forest  of  Monterey  pines,  also  help  to  induce  the  presence  of 
a  large  and  varied  avifauna. 

The  pine  forest  is  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  land  im- 
mediately bordering  the  sea;  in  places,  great  dunes  of 
gleaming  white  sand  being  blown  into  the  edge  of  the  woods. 

The  success  of  this  coniferous  growth  is  due  to  the  low 
average  summer  temperature,  occasioned  by  the  prevalence 
of  fogs  at  that  season.  To  the  same  cause  may  be  attri- 
buted the  nesting  here  of  many  species  which  one  would  not 
expect  to  find  breeding  at  sea-level  in  this  latitude.  Among 
them  are  forms  of  Steller's  Jay  (Cyanocitta  stelleri  car- 
bonacea) ;  White-crowned  Sparrow  (Zonotrichia  leucophrys 
gambeli) ;  Thurber's  or  Sierra  Junco,  (Junco  hy  emails 
pinosus) ;.  Chestnut-backed  Chickadee,  (Penthestes  rufes- 
cens  barlowi) ;  a  west  coast  representative  of  the  Hud- 
sonian  Chickadee;  Winter  Wren,  (Troglodytes  hiemalis 
pacificus) ;  Olive-backed  Thrush,  (Hylocichla  ustulata)  and 
Hermit  Thrush,  (Hylocichla  guttata  sleveni.) 

At  Pacific  Grove,  a  mile  beyond  Monterey  station,  one 
may  hire  a  tent-house  virtually  in  the  pine  forest,  a  large 
tract  of  which  is  preserved  by  a  local  land  company.  The 
student  of  birds  with  a  field  glass  and  camera,  will  therefore 
find  awaiting  him  an  attractively  situated  camp  and  excep- 
tionally favorable  conditions  under  which  to  pursue  his 
investigations. 


268 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD   STUDIES 


Although  the  fauna  was  quite  new  to  us,  Louis  Fuertes 
and  I  saw  some  forty  species  of  land  birds  in  and  about 
these  woods  on  May  27  and  28,  1903.  All  were  apparently 
summer  resident  birds  except  a  flock  of  ten  Cedar  Wax- 
wings,  seen  on  the  28th,  and  a  single  Clarke 's  Crow,  satis- 
factorily identified  at  short  range  on  the  27th. 

Among  the  water  birds,  Heermann's,  Bonaparte's,  and 
Western  Gulls,  and  Brandt's  Cormorants  were  the  most 


"  All  the  quiet  bodies  of  water  contained  Phalaropes  " 

abundant  about  the  rocky  shores  of  Monterey  Bay.  On  the 
coast,  we  found  a  few  Snowy  Plovers  and  Wandering  Tatt- 
lers, and  on  May  29,  a  pair  of  Harlequin  Ducks  was  seen  by 
Fuertes  at  Point  Lobos. 

We  were  especially  interested  in  the  Northern,  and  Eed 
Phalaropes  which  chanced  to  be  abnormally  abundant  at 
this  time.  When  we  reached  Pacific  Grove,  on  May  20,  a 
record-breaking  northwest  wind  had  been  blowing  for  more 
than  two  weeks.  It  evidently  had  rendered  navigation 
impossible  for  the  Phalaropes,  and  these  seafarers  among 


THE  COAST  AT  MONTEREY 


the  Snipe,  while  voyaging  to  their  Arctic  summer  homes, 
had  encountered  the  gale  and  been  stranded  in  vast  numbers. 
A  week  later,  we  found  many  wrecks  of  this  feathered  fleet 
ashore  on  the  Farallones,  where  their  poor,  emaciated  little 
bodies  were  floating  in  the  rock-enclosed  pools  left  by  the 
tide. 

I  had  previously  seen  this  bird  only  on  the  Atlantic,  rest- 
ing in  great  beds  on  the  waters  or  rising  in  silvery,  curling 


Northern  Phalarope  Whirling 

waves  before  the  approach  of  our  steamer.  While  I  regret- 
ted the  disaster  which  had  befallen  the  half-starved  little 
waifs,  I  realized  that  their  ill  luck  was  my  good  fortune,  and 
lost  no  time  in  availing  myself  of  this  unusual  opportunity 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  bird  which  but  few  natura- 
lists have  met  intimately. 

All  the  vjuiet  bodies  of  water  contained  Phalaropes,  a 
large  pond  in  tL )  city  of  Monterey  being  fairly  speckled 


270 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


with  them.  As,  with  several  members  of  our  American 
Ornithologists'  Union  party,  I  approached  its  margin,  I 
was  not  a  little  astonished  to  observe  that  apparently  one- 
half  of  the  Phalaropes  in  it  were  spinning  about  in  the  most 
remarkable  manner.  They  might  have  been  automatic 
teetotums. 


Northern  Phalarope  Swimming 
Note  the  feeding-place,  just  abandoned,  at  the  left 

The  sight  of  this  singular  action  aroused  vague  mem- 
ories of  a  description  of  it  as  a  courtship  ceremonial.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  marital  relations  among  the  Phala- 
ropes are  somewhat  unusual.  Not  only  is  the  female  larger 
and  more  brightly  colored  than  the  male,  but  she  is  the  male 
in  all  but  the  prime  essentials  of  sex.  She  woos,  selects  the 
nesting  site,  and,  while  of  necessity  she  lays  the  eggs,  the 
male,  unaided,  hatches  them  and  rears  the  resulting  family. 

These  facts  suggest  that  a  careful  study  of  the  mating 
habits  of  Phalaropes  will  throw  much  needed  light  on  the 
problem  of  sexual  selection,  and,  exulting  at  the  possibilities 
of  the  situation,  I  concealed  myself  in  an  overhanging  limb 
which  swept  the  water.  The  nearest  birds  were  now  within 
ten  feet.  The  larger  size  and  brighter  plumage  of  the 
females  was  strikingly  noticeable  and  no  difficulty  would 
therefore  be  experienced  in  determining  the  part  in  the  per- 
formance taken  by  both  sexes. 

At  once  the  alleged  forwardness  of  the  female  was  dis- 


THE  COAST  AT  MONTEREY 


271 


counted  by  seeing  quite  as  many  males  as  females  pirouet- 
ting ;  while  the  sight  of  single  birds,  of  either  sex,  whirling 
around  quite  alone,  cast  doubt  on  the  sexual  significance  of 
the  evolution. 


Brandt's  Cormorants  Gathering  Grass 

In  short,  it  required  only  a  few  moments '  watching  to 
learn  that  the  revolving  birds  were  feeding.  The  lobed  feet 
were  moved  alternately  in  such  a  manner  that  the  birds 
spun  around  in  the  same  spot,  making  a  complete  revolution 
in  about  two  seconds  and  from  three  or  four  to  as  many  as 
forty  turns  without  stopping.  A  rotary  movement  of  the 
shallow  water  was  thus  created,  bringing  to  the  surface 
small  forms  of  aquatic  life  which  the  Phalaropes  eagerly 
devoured,  their  slender  bills  darting  rapidly  two  or  three 
times  during  each  revolution.  It  was  an  interesting  and,  in 
my  experience,  a  novel  method  of  securing  food. 


272 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


Off  the  coast  near  Monterey,  are  a  number  of  rocky 
islets,  some  of  which  are  inhabited  by  Brandt's  Cormorants. 
An  island  of  this  character  not  far  off  shore  above  Cypress 
Point,  is  one  of  the  features  of  the  "Seventeen  Mile  Drive". 
There  are  similar  islands  at  Point  Lobos,  about  six  miles 
further  south.  We  attempted  to  land  on  them  on  May  29, 
but  were  prevented  by  the  surf. 


Cormorant  Rocks  near  Point  Lobos 

The  Cormorants  were  now  gathering  grass  for  their 
nests,  from  an  island  almost  within  a  stone 's  throw  of  the 
mainland.  They  appeared,  as  a  rule,  from  the  south, 
alighted  at  the  edge  of  the  island,  a  cliff  some  thirty  feet  in 
height,  waddled  awkwardly  to  the  undipped  grass,  pulled  a 
bill-full,  waddled  back  to  the  cliff-border,  threw  themselves 
into  the  air  on  outstretched  wings  and,  flying  toward  the 
north,  returned  to  their  nesting  rock  which  was  immediately 
back  of  the  one  on  which  they  were  "haying". 


THE  COAST  AT  MONTEREY 


273 


Throughout  the  day,  feathered  mowers  were  rarely 
absent  from  the  field,  sometimes  as  many  as  nine  birds  being 
present.  The  denuded  area  from  which  the  grass  had  been 
removed,  was  as  bare  and  as  sharply-defined  from  that  por- 
tion of  the  crop  which  the  Cormorants  had  not  yet  gathered, 
as  though  it  had  been  mowed  and  raked  by  a  human  harves- 
ter. 

On  June  9,  a  second  attempt  was  made  to  land  on  the 
Cormorant  rock  here  but,  like  the  first,  it  failed.  The  birds 
now  had  eggs. 


Brandt's  Cormorant 


THE  FAEALLONES 

Bird  inhabited  rocks  are  characteristic  of  the  California 
coast.  Tourists  will  recall  one  off  the  Cliff  House  at  San 
Francisco,  as  well  as  the  one  at  Cypress  Point,  near  Mon- 
terey. But  California 's  famous  bird  islands  are  the  Faral- 
lones,  which  are  not  only  the  largest  in  the  state,  but  in  the 
Union. 

To  the  visiting  ornithologist,  this  avian  metropolis  is  the 
strongest  attraction  of  our  Pacific  Coast.  Distant  only 
thirty  miles  from  San  Francisco,  it  may  be  reached  by  tug 
in  three  or  four  hours  of  as  uncomfortable  sailing  as  one  is 
likely  to  encounter  in  a  life  time  at  sea. 

Excellent  lodging  is  to  be  obtained  with  the  keeper  of 
the  Farallone  Light,  or  his  assistants,  who  give  even  the 
unexpected  visitor  that  unmistakably  cordial,  eager  wel- 
come one  generally  receives  where  guests  are  infrequent. 

The  Farallones  have  an  extended  history.  Discovered  by 
Ferelo  in  1543,  they  were  first  described  by  Sir  Francis 
Drake  in  1579,  and,  not  to  mention  a  number  of  less  import- 
ant articles,  have  been  the  basis  of  papers  by  Emerson 
(1888;  1903),  Barlow  (1898),  Loomis  (1896),  and  Bay 
(1904).  But  these  descriptions,  as  well  as  verbal  accounts, 
and  pictures  had  poorly  prepared  me  to  realize  the  beauty 
of  the  islands  and  the  marvel  of  their  bird-life. 

One  is  first  impressed  with  the  size  of  the  islands ;  in 
place  of  a  mere  rock  inhabited  by  birds,  because  it  is  not 
habitable  by  man,  one  finds  an  island  nearly  a  mile  long 
with  an  area  of  about  100  acres.  A  coast  line  of  extreme 
irregularity,  set  with  great  masses  of  detached  rock  or  bor- 
dering islets,  and  an  unusually  diversified  surface,  not  only 
adds  to  the  charm  and  interest  of  the  island  but  materially 
increase  its  apparent  dimensions. 

Hills — mountains,    almost    they    seem — caves,    amphi- 


THE  FARALLONES 


275 


theatres,  plains,  ridges,  crests,  arches,  domes  and  pinnacles 
give  a  constantly  varying  character  to  one's  surroundings. 
If  the  Farallones  were  birdless,  they  would  still  compel  the 
enthusiastic  admiration  of  every  lover  of  the  ruggedly  pic- 
turesque and  elemental. 

The  surf  completes  the  grandeur  of  the  scene.    Even  on 


The  Landing-place 

calm  days,  the  ocean  hurls  itself  with  terrific  force  against 
the  unprotected  rock.  How  it  surges  into  the  caverns,  bel- 
lowing from  their  darkened  depths !  How  the  waves  charge 
through  the  arches  to  meet  a  fellow  from  the  other  side  and 
bound  into  the  air  as  though  a  mine  had  exploded  beneath 
them !  How  they  shoot  up,  geyser-like,  from  crevices  in  the 
rock,  open  below  to  the  sea ! 

There  is  a  singular,  human  character  to  the  Farallone 
surf ;  and  when  from  the  green  wall  of  in-rushing  water, 


276 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


large,  expressive  eyes  set  in  a  great  head,  look  one  square- 
ly in  the  face,  it  is  easier  to  believe  the  creature  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  sea  than  a  sea-lion  from  the  rookery  on  a  neigh- 
boring islet. 


Telephoto  of  Murres  on  a  Near-by  Islet 

Ten  species  of  sea  birds  and  a  single  species  of  land  bird 
nest  upon  the  Farallones,  but  the  number  of  individuals  by 
which  they  are  represented,  no  one  has  ventured  to  esti- 
mate. 

The  California  Murre,  is  the  most  numerous  inhabitant 
of  this  marine  aviary  and  about  this  bird  centers  the  history 
of  the  Farallones  as  egg-yielding  islands. 

Among  San  Francisco  bakers,  Murres'  eggs  are  con- 
sidered an  acceptable  substitute  for  the  product  of  the  poul- 
try yard,  and  as  early  as  1849,  they  were  sold  in  San  Fran- 
cisco markets.  At  this  period  of  insufficient  food-supply, 
they  brought  one  dollar  per  dozen.  In  1854,  it  is  stated  by 


THE  FARALLONES 


277 


Dr.  W.  0.  Ayres,  more  than  five  hundred  thousand  eggs 
were  collected  in  the  Farallones  in  less  than  two  months ; 
but  in  1896,  according  to  L.  M.  Loomis,  the  number  had 
dropped  to  ninety-odd  thousand  and  the  price  to  twelve  and 
a  half  cents  per  dozen. 


Murres 
"  Thousands  lived  in  the  wave-washed  caverns  " 

Under  the  more  systematic  method  of  collecting,  em- 
ployed at  the  later  date,  the  comparatively  small  number  of 
eggs  then  secured  doubtless  only  in  part  indicates  the 
decrease  in  Farallone  bird-life  which  had  occurred  in  forty 
years.  To  prevent  further  decimation  of  this  bird  colony, 
the  United  States  Government,  at  the  solicitation  of  the 


278  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

American  Ornithologists '  Union,  has  fortunately  forbidden 
egg-collecting  on  the  Farallones. 

When  undisturbed,  Murres  perch  on  the  rocks  with  their 
dark  backs  toward  the  sea,  a  fact  well  illustrated  by  the 
telephoto  of  a  Murre-covered  pinnacle,  made  at  so  great  a 
distance  that  the  birds  were  not  alarmed.  One  does  not 
realize  at  first,  therefore,  the  astounding  abundance  of  these 
birds. 

They  were  especially  numerous  on  the  less  accessible 
cliffs  and  pinnacles,  and  on  the  islets  off-shore  they  were 
often  so  thickly  massed  that  a  new  comer  could  with  difficul- 
ty find  a  foothold.  Thousands  lived  in  the  wave-washed 
caverns  where,  when  alarmed,  their  white  breasts  gleamed 
like  lights  in  the  gloom ;  a  queer  little  cave  people,  bobbing 
and  bowing  and  muttering  in  a  tongue  of  their  own. 

When  one  appeared  at  the  entrance  of  their  subterra- 
nean home,  there  was  a  rush  for  the  outer  world.  Some 
birds  flew  past  one,  through  the  air,  and  the  wise  man  gave 
them  free  passage ;  others  flew  below  one,  under  the  water, 
where  the  action  of  their  wings  could  be  plainly  seen. 

Wards  of  the  Government,  the  Farallone  Murres  might 
be  envied  among  birds,  were  it  not  for  the  presence  in  their 
nesting  resort  of  the  Western  Gull,  a  species  closely  allied 
to  our  common  Herring,  or  Harbor  Gull. 

Never  have  I  seen  more  relentless,  brazen,  destructive 
enemies  of  bird-life  than  these  immaculate,  snowy-breasted, 
pearl-backed  birds.  Second  in  number  only  to  the  Murres, 
they  were  especially  abundant  at  the  western  end  of  the 
island,  where,  when  walking,  a  great  band  of  cackling  Gulls 
always  hung  over  one,  waiting  to  dart  down  on  the  eggs  of 
Murres  or  Cormorants,  from  which  the  owners  flew  as  we 
approached.  The  nests  of  a  large  colony  of  Brandt's  Cor- 
morants were  quickly  emptied  of  their  contents  in  this  man- 
ner, the  apparently  famished  Gulls  dashing  into  nests 
almost  at  one's  feet.  The  greenish  eggs  of  Murres  are  not 
so  conspicuous  as  the  white  Cormorant  eggs  and,  being  laid 


THE  FARALLONES  279 

in  less  exposed  situations,  are  not  always  discovered  by  the 
keen-eyed  robbers.  Many,  however,  are  taken  and  a  light- 
plumaged  Gull  with  a  large,  brightly-colored  Murre  's  egg  in 
his  bill,  dodging  hither  and  thither  in  the  attempt  to  escape 
a  crowd  of  envious  comrades,  forms  a  stirring  picture  of 
bird-life.  One  might  observe  it  with  more  satisfaction, 
however,  if  the  pursuers  were  of  the  same  species  as  the  egg. 
The  victimized  Murre,  doubtless,  takes  small  interest  in 
the  results  of  the  chase.  A  stolen  egg  is  irreparably  lost ; 
prevention  is  the  only  cure;  consequently  when  not  dis- 


-  I 


"  A  great  band  of  cackling  Gulls  always  hung  over  one  " 

turbed  by  man,  Murres  are  close  sitters,  one  or  the  other  of 
the  pair  always  covering  the  egg. 

Without  man  to  play  the  spaniel,  the  Gulls  are  forced  to 
get  their  booty  by  patient  watching  for  the  moment  when 
an  egg  may  be  left  unguarded  or,  in  some  instances,  even  by 


280 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


force,  when  they  actually  attempt  to  take  the  egg  from  be- 
neath the  body  of  the  sitting  bird. 

All  about  the  island,  one  may  see  these  daintily-clad 
creatures,  wearing  pinions  fit  for  an  angel 's  wings,  perched 
near  some  incubating  Murre,  ready  to  take  advantage  of 
half  a  chance  to  snatch  the  egg  which,  for  widely  different 
reasons,  they  both  value  so  highly. 


1 


Western  Gull  on  Nest 

Whether  the  Gulls  were  always  near  starvation  or 
whether  Murres'  eggs  are  an  especially  delectable  dainty, 
one  cannot  say ;  but,  in  view  of  the  Gulls' insatiable  appetite 
for  fare  of  this  kind,  it  was  surprising  to  observe  that  they 
did  not  prey  upon  their  own  kind.  I  recall  no  better  instance 
in  bird-life  of  ' '  honor  among  thieves. ' ' 

During  the  days  of  "egging"  on  the  Farallones,  the  men 
engaged  in  this  questionable  industry  recognized  the  Gulls 


THE  FARALLONES 


281 


as  their  only  rivals,  and  destroyed  their  eggs  and  young. 
But  the  prevailing  conditions  afford  protection  for  the 
Murres  and  Murres'  enemies  alike.  Evidently  even  among 
birds,  a  solicitous  Government  cannot  extend  protection 
only  to  those  who  need  it.  Law  for  the  Murre  is  law  for  the 
Gull;  and  the  Farallone  Gulls'  Trust  now  enjoys  a  monop- 
oly of  Farallone  egg  products,  which  those  concerned  in  the 
passage  of  the  law  never  intended  it  should  have. 


Telephoto  of  Brandt's  Cormorants 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  is  most  frequently  rob- 
bed by  the  Gulls,  Brandt's  Cormorant  is  by  far  the  most 
abundant  of  the  three  species  of  Cormorants  which  breed 
upon  the  Farallones.  Building  in  exposed  situations,  it  left 
its  nest  when  I  was  so  far  away  that  satisfactory  pictures 
of  it  could  be  secured  only  with  a  telephoto,  and  the  Gulls 
were  given  abundant  opportunity  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of 
the  unguarded  eggs.  Both  Baird  's  and  the  Farallone  Cor- 


282 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


morant  nested  among  the  rocks ;  and  both  had  young.  The 
former  were  usually  on  the  face  of  cliffs,  and  being  much 
less  shy  than  Brandt's  they  were  comparatively  secure  from 
the  ever-watchful,  marauding  Gulls. 

Nor  can  one  explain  why  the  Guillemots  and  Puffins, 
which  lay  their  eggs  in  burrows  or  crevices  in  the  rocks, 
quite  beyond  the  Gulls'  reach,  should  be  so  much  less 


Guillemots 

abundant  than  the  Murres.  The  Guillemot,  furthermore, 
lays  two  eggs  to  the  Murres '  one.  To  be  less  abundant  than 
Murres,  however,  is  far  from  approaching  rarity.  In  fact 
never  have  I  seen  Guillemots  so  numerous  as  they  were  on 
the  Farallones.  Groups  of  from  ten  to  twenty  of  these 
plump,  so-called  * '  Sea  Pigeons ' '  gathered  in  sunny  places 
on  the  rocks,  where,  some  reclining,  some  standing,  they 
permitted  a  near  enough  approach  to  enable  one  to  see  defi- 


THE  FARALLONES  283 

nitely  their  greenish-black  plumage,  with  its  snowy-white 
wing  patches,  and  their  coral-red  feet ;  so  often  do  they  open 
their  mouths  to  emit  a  high,  squealing  whistle,  that  its  coral- 
red  lining  constitutes  a  by  no  means  unimportant  part  of 
their  make-up. 

But  it  is  to  the  Tufted  Puffin  that  the  prize  for  originality 
in  costume  must  be  awarded  among  Farallone  birds.  Par- 
rot-like in  appearance,  he  adds  to  the  attractiveness  of  red 
feet,  a  surprisingly  large,  bright  red  and  yellow  bill,  and 
from  the  side  of  each  white  cheek  springs  a  streaming 
plume  of  straw-colored  feathers. 


Tufted  Puffins 

The  Puffin  lives  in  burrows  or  holes  under  the  rocks 
where,  if  one  would  learn  the  strength  of  its  singularly 
shaped  bill,  one  need  only  to  inseri,  one's  hand ! 

Murres,  Gulls,  Cormorants,  Guillemots,  and  Puffins, 
form  the  diurnal  sea-bird  life  of  the  Farallones.  But 
abundant  as  they  are,  one  has  only  to  go  out  of  doors  after 
dark  to  believe  that  birds  are  as  numerous  by  night  as  they 
are  by  day.  Then,  Cassin's  Auklet,  Leach's  and  the  Ashy 
Petrel  come  from  their  retreats  in  holes,  cracks,  and 
crevices  in  the  rocks  and  similar  places.  The  air  is  filled 
with  their  weird  and  elfin  cries.  The  first  night  on  the 
island,  I  was  awakened  by  a  startling  scream,  "Come  here; 
come  here",  apparently  at  my  bedside ;  but  it  proved  to  be 


284 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


Cassin's  Auklet  in   Crevice 
in  the  Rocks 


a  Cassin's  Auklet,  beginning 
his  evening  hymn  in  his  home 
under  the  floor  of  my  room. 
The  second  night  he  seemed  to 
change  his  tune  to  a  piercing 
"Let  me  go;  let  me  go."  It 
required  no  small  amount  of 
self-persuasion  to  believe  that 
this  unearthly  sound  was  a 
bird's  voice  and  consequently 
interesting  if  not  altogether 
desirable. 

No  such  effort  was  needed  to 
welcome  the  notes  of  the  Eock 
Wren,  the  one  resident  land 
bird  of  the  Farallones.  Against 
a  background  of  the  Murres' 
harsh  squawks  and  guttural 
groans,  of  Gulls'  screams  and 
cackles,  of  Guillemots'  shrill 
whistles,  its  mockingbird-like 
song  stood  out  with  peculiar 
charm  and  sweetness,  as  the 
unconscious  little  musician 
hopped  calmly  from  rock  to 
rock  among  its  strange  com- 
panions, apparently  as  much 
at  home  as  though  it  were  in 
the  quiet  seclusion  of  a  Sierra 
canon. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  Wren 
as  the  only  land  bird  of  the 
Farallones.  At  present,  I  un- 
derstand this  to  be  true;  but 
at  the  time  of  my  visit,  a  pair 
of  Ravens  lived  about  Arch 


THE  FARALLONES  285 

Rock  where  the  never-failing  supply  of  Murres '  eggs  must 
have  induced  the  belief  that  they  had  indeed  reached  the 
Seventh  Heaven  of  ravendom. 

Like  the  Ravens,  other  birds,  particularly  such  as  mi- 
grate by  sea,  sometimes  touch  at  the  Farallones.  I  saw 
several  Black  Turnstones  and  again  encountered  wrecks  of 
the  Phalarope  fleet  so  many  members  of  which  had  gone 
ashore  at  Monterey. 

Although  so  much  has  been  written  about  Farallone 
bird-life,  I  am  convinced  that  an  unexpectedly  rich  reward 
awaits  the  student,  who,  going  to  the  islands  in  May,  when 
the  birds  come,  and  remaining  until  they  depart,  in  August 
or  September,  will  devote  himself  to  a  study  of  their  life 
histories  and  relationships.  The  three  days  of  my  visit 
(June  3-6, 1903),  were  barely  sufficient  to  give  that  vitaliz- 
ing touch  of  personal  experience,  which  renders  so  much 
more  intelligible  anything  we  may  have  heard  concerning  a 
locality  and  stimulates  our  interest  in  its  subsequent  his- 
tory. Moreover,  at  this  time,  the  birds  were  less  tame  than 
they  become  later  in  the  season  and  could  not  be  readily 
observed  and  photographed. 


Rock  Wren 


THE  SAN  JOAQUIN  VALLEY  AT  LOS  BANGS 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  22,  1903,  when,  with  Louis 
Fuertes  and  H.  Ward,  as  guide,  I  left  Oakland  for  Los 
Banes,  great  billowy  cataracts  of  fog  were  pouring  over  the 
hills  about  Tamalpais ;  but  within  an  hour  we  found  a  dif- 
ferent climate.  In  place  of  the  damp,  raw  air  of  the  coast, 
the  atmosphere  was  clear  and  dry.  Instead  of  the  densely 
wooded  mountains  north  of  the  Golden  Gate  we  were  short- 
ly passing  over  level  plains,  through  seemingly  endless 
fields  of  wheat.  Such  sudden  and  marked  changes  are 
frequent  in  California. 

At  ten  o  'clock  that  night  we  reached  the  village  of  Los 
Banos,  The  surrounding  country  is  comparatively  arid 
and  large  tracts  have  been  irrigated  to  grow  alfalfa  and, 
particularly,  to  create  grazing  for  the  cattle  of  the  Miller 
and  Lux  Company. 

In  irrigating  for  grazing,  the  waters  of  the  San  Joaquin 
river  are  used  literally  to  flood  vast  areas,  and  the  desert  is 
soon  transformed  into  a  series  of  creeks,  ponds  and 
marshes.  The  desert  plants  are  replaced  by  Sagittaria  and 
Ranunculus,  tules  (Scirpus)  and  cat-tails,  (Typha),  and  the 
desert  birds  by  a  remarkable  assemblage  of  water  birds 
whose  local  distribution  is  governed  by  the  presence  or 
absence  of  water.  On  reaching  Los  Banos,  our  inquiry, 
therefore,  was  not  for  birds  but  for  water,  and  we  directed 
our  steps,  or  to  be  exact,  those  of  our  horses,  toward  that 
portion  of  the  ranch  which  we  learned  was  then  being  irri- 
gated. 

Driving  over  a  levee,  which  extended  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  see,  we  observed  that  the  old  and  the  new  bird  life  was 
separated  only  by  the  width  of  the  dike.  On  the  left  was  a 
parched  and  sterile  plain,  with  Horned  Larks  and  Burrow- 
ing Owls ;  the  home  also,  of  jack  rabbits,  coyotes,  and  rattle- 


THE  SAN  JOAQUIN  VALLEY 


287 


snakes ;  on  the  right  were  fertility  and  water,  with  Ducks, 
Herons,  Ibis,  Terns,  Coots,  Stilts,  Avocets,  and  other  aqua- 
tic species  in  countless  numbers. 

To  the  east,  the  view  stretched  across  the  desert  toward 
the  distant  Sierras  where,  on  clear  days,  could  be  seen 
the  snow-fields  which,  eighty  miles  away,  supplied  the  water 
at  our  feet.  To  the  west,  one  looked  over  green  marshes 
and  shining  ponds,  dotted 
with  cattle  and  fairly  twink- 
ling with  flitting  wings,  to 
yellow  fields  leading  up 
through  moulded  brown 
foot-hills  to  the  blue  crests 
of  the  Coast  Eange. 

The  place  combined  in  an 
unusual  way,  the  attractions 
of  both  a  desert  and  a  marsh, 
without  the  drawbacks  of 
either.  There  were  no  mos- 
quitoes or  other  noxious  in- 
sects, no  dust  or  thirst-creat- 
ing aridity  and,  in  spite  of  a 
comparatively  high  temper- 
ature, the  air  was  dry  and 
invigorating.  The  conditions 
were  so  favorable  for  mir- 
age, that,  after  several  sur- 
prising experiences,  we  lost 
confidence  in  every  feature  Burrowing  owl 

of  the  landscape  which  was 

beyond  reach.      Passing  trains,  at  a  distance  of  a  few  hun 
dred  yards,  appeared  to  be  fused,  shimmering  bodies,  travel- 
ling through  the  air,  while  the  most  beautiful  ponds  and 
patches  of  tules  and  cat-tails  faded  at  our  approach. 

However,  our  immediate  surroundings  were  always  so 
interesting  that  we  were  not  inconvenienced  by  these  illus- 


288  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

ions.  Except  upon  bird  islands,  I  have  never  seen  birds 
more  abundant  than  they  were  in  this  desert-marsh.  The 
group,  a  photograph  of  which  is  reproduced  herewith,  was 
based  on  our  studies,  and  is  by  no  means  over-done.  It  is 
true  that  one  would  not  find  all  the  birds  it  contains,  in  a 
space  twenty  by  eight  feet,  but  one  could  frequently  see 
them  all  in  a  single  glance,  and  the  impression  of  the  group 
seeks  to  convey  is  therefore  within  the  truth. 

Among  the  species  seen  daily,  most  of  them  in  large 
numbers,  were  the  Cinnamon  Teal,  Mallard,  Pintail,  Bed- 
head, Fulvous  Tree  Duck,  Great  Blue  Heron,  Night  Heron, 
American  Bittern,  Forster's  and  the  Black  Tern,  Coot, 
White-faced  Glossy  Ibis,  Killdeer,  Avocet  and  Black-necked 
Stilt.  Twelve  Wilson's  Phalaropes,  a  species  which  had 
previously  been  recorded  from  west  of  the  Sierras  but  once, 
were  also  added  to  our  list. 

Of  all  these  birds,  the  Stilts,  because  of  their  abundance, 
vociferousness,  and  remarkable  actions  were  the  most  con- 
spicuous and  interesting.  They  nested  on  the  little  islands 
formed  by  slightly  elevated  bits  of  ground,  often  selecting 
a  site  which,  under  irrigation,  subsequently  became  sub- 
merged— a  misfortune  artificial  conditions  had  not  pre- 
pared the  birds  to  anticipate. 

On  May  23,  their  eggs  were  hatching,  and  in  June  the 
snipe-like  young  were  widely  distributed  over  the  marsh. 
They  invariably  attempted  to  escape  observation  by  squat- 
ting with  neck  outstretched,  but  the  parents,  whether  one 
approached  their  eggs  or  young,  expressed  their  solicitude 
by  a  surprising  extravagance  of  motion,  all  apparently 
designed  to  draw  attention  to  themselves.  I  was  at  times 
surrounded  by  hopping,  fluttering  Stilts,  all  calling  loudly, 
waving  their  wings,  bounding  into  the  air  to  hang  there  with 
dangling  legs  and  beating  pinions,  and  executing  other  feats 
which  would  have  done  credit  to  acrobatic  marionettes. 

The  Avocets  were  scarcely  less  demonstrative,  but  their 
method  of  defending  their  eggs  or  young  was  less  by  the 


THE  SAN  JOAQUIN  VALLEY 


289 


strategy  of  actions  to  make  themselves  the  centre  of  attrac- 
tion, than  by  the  most  reckless  attempts  to  drive  the  intruder 
from  the  field.  Eapidly  uttering  their  loud  plee-eek,  they 
charged  one  with  a  directness  and  apparent  determination 
which  threatened  to  drive  their  needle-pointed  bill  into  the 
base,  swerving  to  right  or  left  when  only  a  few  feet  away, 
and  repeating  the  performance  almost  immediately.  They 


Stilt  on  Nest 

claimed  dominion  over  so  wide  a  territory  and  appeared  so 
anxious  to  guard  it  all  equally,  that  it  was  difficult  to  locate 
their  nest  from  their  actions.  We  found  neither  eggs  nor 
young  on  our  first  visit,  but  several  nearly  grown  young 
were  taken  between  June  16  and  20. 

Black  Terns  were  as  abundant  over  this  submerged 
desert  as  Swallows  are  over  some  of  our  eastern  marshes  in 
August.  There  was  not  a  moment  when  their  sharp  peek 
could  not  be  heard.  They  nested  on  their  usual  little  island- 
rafts,  and  the  young  of  the  year  were  just  beginning  to  fly 
on  June  16. 


290 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


Forster's  Terns  were  far  less  common  than  their 
smaller,  darker  relatives ;  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  were 
seen  in  a  single  day. 

Of  the  Ducks,  the  handsome  Cinnamon  Teal  was  the 
most  numerous.  It  nested  in  the  alfalfa  fields  near  water, 
where  nests  with  eggs  were  found  May  23,  and  also  on  little 
grass-grown  hummocks  in  the  water,  where  a  nest  with  eggs 


Newly  Hatched  Stilts 

hatching  was  found  June  19.  The  agility  of  these  freshly 
hatched  ducklings  was  remarkable.  Almost  on  emerging 
from  the  egg  they  took  to  the  water,  swimming  and  diving 
freely.  The  drake  was  always  within  a  few  feet  of  the  duck, 
when  she  was  off  the  nest,  and  invariably  sprang  into  the 
air  a  foot  or  two  behind  her  when  she  took  wing.  We  made 
this  habit  a  subject  of  special  observation  without  ever  see- 
ing the  male  bird  fly  first. 

The  Mallard  was  found  with  newly  hatched  young  on 
June  17,  and  during  this  week  the  Pintail,  Bedhead,  and 
Fulvous  Tree  Duck  were  also  found  nesting.  The  Fulvous 
Tree  Duck,  whose  unique  range  includes  tropical  America, 


,35 


292  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

Africa  and  India,  and  bespeaks  for  it  extreme  antiquity, 
was  seen  daily.  These  birds  combine  in  a  singular  way  the 
characteristics  of  both  a  Duck  and  a  Goose.  When  on  the 
ground,  their  erect  pose  is  particularly  goose-like.  Their 
note,  however,  suggests  that  of  neither  Goose  nor  Duck,  but 
is  a  long-drawn,  squealing  whistle. 

Coots  (Fulica)  were  abundant  wherever  there  was 
enough  water  to  float  them,  and  as  usual,  their  strongly 
marked  emphatic  notes  were  most  conspicuous  among  the 
bird  voices.  In  default  of  the  dense  growth  in  which  they 
commonly  build,  their  nests  were  often  placed  in  such  expos- 
ed situations  that  the  sitting  bird  could  be  seen  at  a  distance 
of  several  hundred  feet.  The  barbed  wire  fences  which  divid- 
ed certain  of  the  flooded  pastures,  introduced  a  new  element 
of  danger  into  the  lives  of  these  low-flying  birds,  and  several 
individuals  were  found  hung  on  the  barbs. 

The  White-faced  Glossy  Ibises  were  of  special  interest 
to  us,  but  they  were  exceedingly  shy  and  the  absence  of 
cover  made  it  difficult  for  us  to  get  near  enough  to  hear  their 
nasal  ooh-ick-ooh-ick  as  they  took  wing.  On  several 
occasions,  however,  we  were  privileged  to  see  flocks  of  from 
ten  to  forty  of  these  usually  dignified  birds  perform  a  sur- 
prising evolution.  In  close  formation,  they  soared  skyward 
in  a  broad  spiral,  mounting  higher  and  higher  until,  in  this 
leisurely  and  graceful  manner,  they  had  reached  an  eleva- 
tion of  at  least  500  feet.  Then,  without  a  moment's  pause 
and  with  thrilling  speed,  they  dived  earthward.  Some  times 
they  went  together  as  one  bird,  at  others  each  bird  steered 
its  own  course,  when  the  air  seemed  full  of  plunging,  dart- 
ing, crazy  Ibises.  When  about  fifty  feet  from  the  ground, 
their  reckless  dash  was  checked  and,  on  bowed  wings,  they 
turned  abruptly  and  shot  upward.  Shortly  after,  like  the 
rush  of  a  gust  of  wind,  we  heard  the  humming  sound  caused 
by  the  swift  passage  through  the  air  of  their  stiffened 
pinions. 

On  our  first  visit  to  Los  Banos,  we  were  in  the  field  only 


THE  SAN  JOAQUIN  VALLEY  293 

two  days,  May  23  and  24th.  When  we  returned  on  June  15, 
to  remain  until  the  20th,  we  were  much  disappointed  to  find 
that  places  where  birds  had  been  most  abundant  in  May, 
were  now  virtually  deserted. 

The  birds  had  not  finished  nesting,  but  the  withdrawal  of 
the  water  had  deprived  them  of  its  protection.  Their  nest- 
ing sites  were  no  longer  islets  and  had  possibly  been  raided 
by  coyotes.  The' spot,  although  green  with  the  vegetation 
due  to  irrigation,  was  slowly  being  reclaimed  by  the  desert, 
and  the  birds  had  sought  new  and  more  favorable  resorts  in 
those  portions  of  the  marsh  then  being  irrigated. 

Evidently  the  abnormal  and  sudden  rise  of  the  water,  as 
well  as  the  equally  unusual  fall,  prevents  many  birds  from 
rearing  young.  I  found  numbers  of  flooded  nests  in  May, 
which  had  been  built  when  the  water  was  still  rising,  while 
its  disappearance  must  have  been  even  more  disastrous. 


Great  Blue  Heron  in  Irrigation  Ditch 
These  birds  were  unusually  tame  within  the  Los 
Banos  town  limits,   and  could  be  photographed  by 
the  roadside  from  a  carriage  in  passing. 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE 

I  went  to  lower  Klamath  Lake  (June  30- July  7,  1906) 
primarily  to  secure  material  for  a  group  of  White  Pelicans, 
which  the  researches  of  Messrs.  Finley  and  Bohlman  for 
the  National  Association  of  Audubon  Societies  (^Bird- 
Lore",  VII,  1905,  p.  336)  had  shown  to  nest  there  abund- 
antly. 

This  lake,  which  is  twelve  miles  long  by  about  half  as 
wide,  is  situated  in  the  arid,  northeastern  part  of  Califor- 
nia, on  the  Oregon  boundary  line.  Doubtless  it  may  now  be 
reached  by  the  railroad  which  was  expected  to  arrive  the 
year  after  our  visit,  when  the  charm  of  its  isolation  will 
have  been  destroyed.  But,  as  related  in  the  chapter  devoted 
to  the  White  Pelican,  the  lake  itself  is  doomed  and  the  rail- 
road will  be  a  fit  accompaniment  to  the  farms  which  will  re- 
place the  tules. 

Our  way  lay  up  the  Sacramento  Valley,  where  twenty- 
four-horse  reapers  were  harvesting  the  rye ;  through  the 
strikingly  picturesque  Sacramento  Canon ;  past  Mt.  Shasta, 
whose  isolation  gives  it  an  individuality  shared  only  with 
the  smaller  cone  at  its  side.  Shasta  reigns;  its  surround- 
ings exist  merely  the  better  to  display  the  grandeur  of  its 
own  proportions.  Of  all  the  mountains  I  have  seen,  Orizaba 
alone  excels  Shasta  in  its  power  to  exact  homage. 

At  Ager  we  left  the  railway  and  drove  twenty  miles  to 
Beswick,  arriving  at  midnight.  There  is  considerable  deci- 
duous growth  here  along  the  shores  of  the  Klamath  Eiver 
and  Shovel  Creek,  and  birds  were  abundant. 

From  Beswick,  which  consists  merely  of  a  hotel  to 
accomodate  visitors  to  the  Klamath  Hot  Springs,  we  drove 
twenty-five  miles  to  Keno.  The  road  follows  the  rushing 
Klamath  Eiver  through  a  region  of  much  beauty,  and  when, 
by  a  gradual  ascent,  we  had  reached  an  elevation  of  about 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE  295 

500  feet  above  the  river,  we  found  the  view  to  the  south  note- 
worthy, even  in  California.  At  this  point  we  entered  a 
primeval  forest  of  thickly  growing  firs,  yellow  and  sugar 
pines  and  a  few  cedars,  and  having  attained  an  altitude  of 
about  4300,  or  2000  feet  above  Beswick,  we  began  the 
descent  toward  Keno. 

The  forest  trees  decreased  in  size  and  number  as  we 
journeyed  toward  the  more  arid  east,  and  several  miles  east 
of  Keno  a  few  scattered  jumpers  marked  the  limit  of  this 
horizontal  timberline. 

We  arrived  at  Keno  at  three  o  'clock  and  embarked  on  a 
small  steamer  which,  following  a  narrow  stream  through 
the  far-reaching  tule  marshes,  made  the  twenty-two  miles  to 
Klamath  Falls  in  two  hours. 

This  prettily  situated  town  of  several  thousand  inhabi- 
tants was  in  the  throes  of  a  boom  in  anticipation  of  the 
developments  incident  to  the  work  of  the  Reclamation  Ser- 
vice in  draining  and  irrigating.  Good  lodging  was  secured 
with  difficulty,  and  then  through  hospitable,  rather  than 
commercial  motives. 

Our  search  for  a  boat  in  which  to  visit  the  bird  islands, 
distant  some  thirty  miles,  very  fortunately  resulted  in  the 
discovery  of  a  recently  completed  18-foot  launch  with  a 
gasolene  engine  capable  of  driving  it  eight  miles  an  hour. 

At  2  P.  M.  on  June  30,  the  day  after  our  arrival,  Hittell 
and  I,  with  Bay  Telf ord,  the  owner,  as  engineer,  embarked  in 
this  launch  for  Lower  Klamath  Lake.  While  one  would  not 
select  this  type  of  craft  from  which  to  observe  birds,  it 
possesses  conspicuous  advantages  over  a  canoe  or  rowboat 
as  a  means  of  rapid  and  easy  transportation. 

We  retraced  a  part  of  our  course  to  Keno,  then  leaving 
the  main  stream,  turned  into  a  narrow  passage  between 
walls  of  tules,  through  which  we  slipped  at  high  speed. 
Black-crowned  Night  Herons  were  stationed  along  the 
shore  at  short  intervals  waiting,  as  usual,  for  their  prey  to 
come  within  striking  distance,  but  on  one  occasion,  jumping 


296  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

into  the  water  and  resting  there  for  a  second  before  taking 
wing.  There  were  also  a  few  Western  Grebes,  a  Bufflehead 
Duck,  in  full  adult  male  plumage,  but  which,  nevertheless, 
had  lost  its  flight  feathers,  and  a  family  of  Wild  Geese, 
(Branta  canadensis  subsp.),  with  fully  grown  young.  Later 
I  saw  an  adult  of  this  species  which,  like  the  Bufflehead,  had 
molted  its  wing-quills,  and  could  only  flap  over  the  water. 


The  bird  had 


Wild  Goose 
lolted  its  wing  feathers  and  could  not  fly 


Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  suddenly  emerged  from  the 
tules  into  the  lake.  We  now  looked  out  over  a  broad  expanse 
of  water,  but  everywhere  the  view  was  bounded  by  tules ;  in 
no  place  was  the  land  visible  at  the  water's  edge. 

Doubtless  it  is  due  to  this  apparent  shorelessness,  to  the 
luminous  atmosphere  of  a  desert  lake,  to  the  strange  cloud 
forms,  and  to  the  peculiar  configuration  of  its  treeless  vol- 
canic hills,  that  Klamath  Lake  owes  its  singular,  unearthly 
beauty. 

Possibly  the  mental  effect  of  the  lake's  unusual  sur- 
roundings was  increased  by  the  dramatic  manner  in  which 
they  were  so  unexpectedly  revealed.  But  even  on  subse- 
quent visits,  when  we  were  prepared  for  the  lake 's  appear- 
ance, it  still  impressed  us  as  belonging  to  another  world. 

But  even  more  than  the  charms  of  the  lake  itself,  of  cloud 
effects  and  sunsets  which  no  man  could  describe  and  no 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE  297 

artist  dare  paint,  of  birds  in  vast  numbers,  it  was  the  views 
of  Mt.  Shasta  which  made  our  days  there  memorable. 
Although  forty  miles  away,  Shasta  seen  across  the  sea  of 
tules  as  an  effective  foreground,  rose  with  surprising 
grandeur.  Gleaming  white  it  swept  in  graceful  lines  up- 
ward, and  still  upward,  so  far  above  any  other  visible  earth- 
ly thing,  so  peaceful,  so  majestic,  so  supreme,  that  it  domin- 
ated the  landscape  like  an  embodiment  of  godliness.  Now  it 
was  rose-tinged  with  coming  day ;  now  startling  in  the  clear- 
ness of  morning ;  now  hazy  and  cloud-wreathed  in  the  after- 
noon ;  now  soft  and  luminous  in  the  afterglow  of  evening ; 
but  always  it  was  inspiring. 

Attracted  by  a  flock  of  White  Pelicans  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  lake,  we  steered  toward  them  only  to  find 
that  they  were  roosting,  not  nesting.  Thence  we  skirted  the 
tules  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake,  and,  at  sunset,  attemp- 
ted to  land  for  the  night,  but  it  was  dark  before  we  found  a 
place  where  we  could  penetrate  the  margin  of  tules,  which 
was  often  a  mile  or  more  in  width.  Fortunately  we  were 
near  the  only  cabin  we  saw  on  the  lake,  and  from  its  owner 
we  secured  enough  wood  for  a  fire  on  which  to  boil  our 
coffee. 

With  no  guide  to  direct  us,  we  had  unconsciously  gone  as 
far  from  the  bird  islands  as  it  was  possible  to  do,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  that  they  were  found. 
After  a  superficial  view  of  the  surprising  number  of  bird 
colonies  occupying  them,  we  ran  the  launch  to  the  home  of  a 
man  named  Kellear  who  had  taken  up  a  homestead  on  an 
island  hill  in  the  sea  of  tules  between  the  lake  and  Keno, 
about  eight  miles  from  the  bird  rookeries.  Here  we  found 
excellent  water,  wood,  and  a  comfortable  straw  bed  in  the 
cowyard,  and  here  we  established  our  headquarters. 

The  bird  islands  of  Lower  Klamath  Lake  are  as  unusual 
as  the  lake  itself.  In  place  of  rocky  reefs,  sandy  bars,  or 
grass-grown  mud-flats,  they  are  composed  solely  of  tules 
which,  about  their  borders,  are  matted  into  thick  beds  of 


298 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


dead  stalks,  on  which  the  birds  nest.  Some  contain  many 
acres,  others  less  than  an  acre ;  but  large  or  small,  all  fur- 
nish the  essential  requisite  of  insular  isolation,  and  all 
illustrate  better  than  any  other  bird  islands  with  which  I  am 
familiar,  the  attraction  of  an  island  home  for  communal, 
ground-nesting  birds. 


"  Low-lying    snaky    Cormorants  " 

The  White  Pelicans  find  here  no  pebbles  with  which  to 
build  their  little  mound-nests ;  the  Caspian  Terns  do  with- 
out sand;  the  Cormorants  without  rocks;  all  must  nest 
under  exactly  the  same  conditions;  even  the  Great  Blue 
Herons,  in  default  of  trees,  built  their  platform  nests  of 
tules  in  the  tules. 

I  do  not  know  how  many  islands  were  inhabited  by  birds, 
but  I  counted  fifteen  on  which  Pelicans  were  nesting,  and 
there  were  at  least  a  dozen  more  with  Eing-billed  and  Cali- 
fornia Gulls,  Caspian  Terns,  Farallone  Cormorants,  and 
Great  Blue  Herons.  In  most  instances  the  birds  nested  near 
the  water  and  were  therefore  easily  visible. 

Most  of  .the  islands  were  separated  by  only  narrow  chan- 
nels, the  canals  in  this  Venice  of  bird  cities,  through  which 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE  299 

passed  dark,  low-lying,  snaky  Cormorants ;  dainty  pearl- 
plumaged  Gulls,  riding  high  and  bouyantly,  or  fluttering 
anxiously  over  their  venturesome  young;  stately,  snowy 
Pelicans  like  full-rigged  ships ;  Ducks  with  their  little  fleet 
of  downlings,  or  Western  Grebes  carrying  their  chicks  on 
their  backs. 

Overhead  lines  of  Pelicans  came  sailing  home,  bearing 
cargo  for  their  young,  and  clamorous  flocks  of  Gulls  rose 
suddenly,  to  continue  in  the  air  some  dispute  begun  in  the 
reeds,  to  which,  shortly,  they  all  returned. 

These  Gulls  appeared  to  be  equally  divided  among  the 
California  and  Ring-billed  species.  They  were  the  most 
abundant  birds  in  the  rookery  and  nested  on  nearly  every 
island.  Some  nests  were  in  close  proximity  to  those  of  the 
Pelicans  and  Cormorants,  but  none  were  seen  near  those  of 
the  Caspian  Terns.  The  greater  number,  however,  were 
some  distance  from  the  shore,  where  the  tules  were  still  up- 
right in  the  tangle  of  the  preceding  years '  growth.  Such 
places  were  infested  with  young  Gulls,  clad  in  mottled  gray 
down,  which  ran  back  into  the  denser  growth  or  tucked 
themselves  into  interstices  in  the  reeds  where  they  were 
easily  overlooked.  It  was  not  until  I  entered  the  blind  and 
the  returning  parents  called  their  young  from  their  hiding- 
places,  that  I  became  aware  of  their  abundance.  The  place 
was  overrun  with  them. 

As  the  old  birds,  one  after  the  other,  dropped  down  to 
the  reeds  about  the  blind,  the  noise  and  confusion  was  be- 
wildering. The  young  birds  apparently  claimed  parentage 
of  any  old  one,  but  when  in  error,  were  promptly  disowned 
with  far  from  tender  nips,  treatment  which,  if  they  saw  it, 
the  real  parents  promptly  resented.  Then  followed  a  battle 
of  wings  and  voices  which  was  quickly  settled  with  some- 
times loss  of  feathers  but  never  of  blood. 

I  have  listened  for  hours  to  the  calls  of  Gulls  without 
divining  their  significance.  These  birds,  in  common  with 
other  members  of  their  genus,  threw  their  heads  upward  like 


300 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


baying  dogs  while  uttering  a  loud,  emphatic  ki-ki-ki-ki, 
and  when  hovering  over  the  rookery  chattered  ka-ka-ka-ka 
more  rapidly  than  human  tongue  could  enunciate  the  sylla- 
bles. At  times,  when  swimming,  they  jerked  out  the  single 
syllable  go,  with  such  force  that  the  head  was  thrown  for- 
ward and  the  bill  entered  the  water;  but  I  could  attach  no 
meaning  to  any  of  these  calls.  The  note  of  the  young  birds 
was  a  shrill,  squealing  whistle. 


"  The  old  birds,  one  after  the  other,  dropped  down  into  the  reeds  " 

The  Caspian  Terns,  of  which  there  were  but  about  300, 
all  in  one  colony,  occupied  a  point  of  an  island  where  they 
were  associated  only  with  Cormorants.  The  Gulls  built  nests 
of  the  tule  stalks,  but  the  Terns  laid  their  eggs  in  depres- 
sions in  the  fallen,  matted  reeds  or  silt  which,  near  the 
water,  sometimes  covered  them.  Most  of  the  eggs  had 
hatched  and,  as  I  landed,  the  downy  young  scurried  into  the 
reed  forest  which  bordered  the  open  space  along  the  shOTe. 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE 


301 


Although  the  blind  was  erected  with  no  attempt  at  con- 
cealment, the  adults,  all  screaming,  came  back  in  a  body  al- 
most as  soon  as  I  had  disappeared  within  it,  and  I  shortly 
experienced  the  satisfaction  of  being  surrounded  by  this,  the 
largest  and,  in  North  America  at  least,  one  of  the  rarest 
members  of  its  genus.  All  wore  the  shining  black  cap  with 
elongated  crest  feathers,  and  had  the  bright  coral  red  bill  of 
the  nuptial  season. 


Caspian  Terns 

As,  with  gracefully  uplifted  wings,  the  daintily  plum- 
aged  birds  alighted,  the  young,  doubtless  in  response  to 
their  calls,  ran  out  from  the  reeds  and  then  ensued  the  usual 
squabbling  until  the  chicks,  finding  their  own  parents,  were 
snugly  nestled  under  the  silky  white  breasts.  On  these  oc- 
casions they  sometimes  fought  three-cornered  duels,  but  as 
the  sex  of  the  contestants  was  unknown,  I  could  not  surmise 
the  meaning  of  the  struggle. 

Like  the  young  of  the  Common  Tern  and  doubtless  also 
of  the  other  members  of  this  subfamily,  the  young  Caspian 


302 


CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 


Terns  swam  easily,  taking  to  the  water  when  cut  off  from 
the  reeds,  but  the  adults  were  not  seen  to  alight  on  the 
water. 

Having  heretofore  failed  to  establish  intimate  relations 
with  that  fine  bird,  the  Western  Grebe,  I  had  anticipated  an 
opportunity  to  observe  it  here,  where,  according  to  the  re- 
port of  Finley  and  Bohlman,  it  had  nested  abundantly  the 


Surrounded  by 


the  rarest  members  of  its  genus  " 


preceding  year.  We  found,  however,  only  one  occupied  nest, 
and  saw  comparatively  few  birds ;  but  we  did  find  numerous 
Grebes '  bodies,  from  which  the  breast  had  been  stripped. 

The  cause  of  their  death  was  revealed  one  morning  when 
we  found  a  ruddy-cheeked,  white-bearded  old  hunter  in  the 
rookery.  Eesting  quietly  in  his  skiff,  gun  in  hand,  he 
promptly  potted  every  Grebe  which  was  unfortunate 
enough  to  rise  within  range.  He  had  only  five  birds  in  his 


LOWER  KLAMATH  LAKE  303 

boat ;  but  his  work  was  nearly  finished ;  the  rookery  had 
been  ' '  shot  out. ' ' 

Living  in  a  house-boat  hidden  somewhere  in  tules,  this 
degenerate  representative  of  the  pioneer  trapper  seemed 
far  from  the  world  of  millinery  adornment,  but  no  stock- 
broker kept  his  eye  on  the  * '  tape  ' '  more  keenly  than  he  did 
on  the  quotation  of  the  New  York  feather  market,  with 
which  the  dealers  regularly  supplied  him,  and  the  moment 
the  figures  promised  a  profit,  he  took  to  the  field. 


Young  Great  Blue  Herons 

It  appeared  that  for  several  preceding  seasons  Grebes' 
breasts  had  brought  only  fifteen  cents  each,  and  at  this  price 
the  birds  were  not  worth  killing.  Hence  their  abundance 
during  the  visit  of  Finley  and  Bohlman.  In  the  meantime, 
the  demands  of  fashion  had  advanced  the  price  to  fifty  cents 
per  breast,  a  sum  sufficient  to  tempt  the  hunter,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  he  had  wiped  out  the  increase  of  years. 

He  was  a  pleasant-eyed  old  fellow,  and  there  was  sonu. 


304  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

thing  about  him  to  which  the  hunter  in  me  responded.  Big 
game  and  fur-bearing  animals  quickly  disappear  before  the 
advance  of  civilization,  but  human  nature  does  not  change 
so  readily. 

The  fact  that  there  were  no  buffalos  to  kill  or  beavers  to 
trap,  did  not  prevent  this  man  from  being  a  hunter  and  in 
default  of  larger  quarry  he  shot  Ducks  and  Grebes  and 
trapped  minks,  making  enough  to  live  in  the  isolation  which 
his  nature  called  for. 

The  fact  that  my  * '  specimens  ' '  were  designed  for  a 
museum,  and  his  "  skins  "  for  a  milliner's  shop  did  not 
seem  to  him  to  create  any  special  difference  in  our  calling 
and,  believing  that  we  were  both  plying  the  same  trade,  he 
freely  discussed  its  various  aspects  and  offered  me  much 
advice  as  to  the  best  manner  in  which  to  kill  Grebes. 

Pelicans,  he  believed,  should  be  protected  by  law  because 
they  ate  the  dead  fish  which  at  that  time  dotted  the  lake  in 
hundreds.  But  on  Cormorants — '  *  Shags ' '  he  called  them 
— there  ought  to  be  a  bounty  because  they  ate  only  live  fish. 
As  for  Grebes,  they  were  no  good  one  way  or  the  other,  ex- 
cept to  kill,  and  if  I  had  advanced  aesthetic  reasons  for  the 
preservation  of  these  marvellously  graceful  witches  of  the 
water,  I  should  probably  have  spoken  in  a  foreign  tongue. 
Perhaps  it  will  be  time  enough  to  turn  our  attention  to  the 
aesthetic  education  of  the  hunter  when  we  have  convinced 
the  wearer  of  the  borrowed  plumes  of  her  moral  responsi- 
bilities in  this  matter  of  bird  destruction. 

So  much  easier  is  it  to  collect  material  things  than  facts, 
that  before  I  had  even  made  the  acquaintance  of  Klamath 
Lake  birds  I  had  secured  the  specimens,  accessories  and 
photographs  on  which  to  base  our  proposed  group.  Mr.  Hit- 
tell  had  completed  his  sketches,  and  with  a  study  of  its  bird- 
life  only  just  begun,  I  left  this  region  of  enchantment. 


THE  SIERRAS 

My  experience  in  the  Sierras  is  limited  to  a  few  days 
(June  24- July  5, 1903;  June  8-10,  1906),  passed  at  Price's 
camp  in  Glen  Alpine  and  on  Fallen  Leaf  Lake  near  Lake 
Tahoe,  and  a  short  trip  from  this  point  over  the  Tahoe-Pla- 
cerville  stage  route  to  Silver  Creek.  Brief  as  was  the  time, 
it  was  more  than  sufficient  to  impress  me  with  the  manifold 
attractions  of  this  region  for  the  nature-lover.  At  this  sea- 
son rain  is  infrequent  and  the  camper,  with  tent  or  without, 
may  hunt  the  world  over  for  a  more  ideal  climate  or  more 
delightful  surroundings. 

The  country  about  Tahoe  offers  a  most  inviting  field  to 
the  ornithologist.  It  is  accessible  and  diversified;  primeval 
forests,  marshes,  and  snow-capped  peaks  being  in  close 
proximity ;  and  as  long  as  William  Price  and  Walter  Fisher 
maintain  their  camp  on  Fallen  Leaf  Lake,  the  visiting  nat- 
uralist will  be  assured  a  congenial  home  and  efficient 
co-operation. 

With  two  other  members  of  the  American  Ornithologists ' 
Union 's  transcontinental  party  of  1903, 1  left  San  Francisco 
the  morning  of  June  23,  and  reached  Tahoe  Inn  in  the  eve- 
ning. Awakened  by  the  emphatic  come-right-here  of  the 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  I  arose  for  an  early  view  of  Tahoe, 
its  encircling  mountains  and  forests,  and  found  as  well,  a 
male  Hermit  Warbler,  and  a  nest  of  a  Mountain  Chickadee 
which  evidently  contained  young.  On  comparing  notes  at 
breakfast,  I  learned  that  both  of  my  companions  had  inde- 
pendently found  the  same  nest,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  an- 
other guest  of  the  hotel  knew  of  its  existence.  I  was  remind- 
ed of  Thoreau's  arrowhead. 

I  know  of  no  lake  in  this  country  comparable  with  Tahoe. 
In  size,  in  the  intense  blue  of  its  surprisingly  clear  waters, 


306  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

in  its  setting  of  great  conifers  and  snow-ridged  mountains 
it  stands,  in  my  experience,  preeminent. 

The  morning  we  sailed  for  Tallac  was  absolutely  calm 
and,  as  the  steamer  glided  over  the  mirror-like  surface  of 
the  lake,  the  bottom  could  be  seen  at  astonishing  depths.  But 
when,  some  days  later,  we  returned,  a  sixty-mile-an-hour 
gale  created  a  sea  which  played  havoc  with  most  of  the  pas- 
sengers and  forced  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  foot 
steamer  to  abandon  part  of  her  route. 

At  Tallac,  White-crowned  Sparrows  sang  plaintively  in 
the  pines  near  the  hotel,  and  Juncos  trilled  and  twittered  in 
the  shrubbery.  Later,  I  saw  near  Tallac  a  single  American 
Magpie,  (Pica  pica  hudsonia),  ornithological  evidence  that 
I  was  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierras.  Here  one  takes  a 
stage  for  the  five-mile  ride  through  the  woods  around  the 
border  of  Fallen  Leaf  Lake,  to  Price's  Camp,  at  an  altitude 
of  about  6,300  feet. 

From  this  point,  there  are  a  score  or  more  of  mountain 
lakes  to  be  reached  within  a  few  hours.  Mt.  Tallac,  snow- 
capped, towers  overhead,  and  Glen  Alpine,  with  its  fine 
trees,  dashing  stream  and  water-falls,  lies  at  the  back  of  the 
camp. 

The  vicinity  of  the  camp  itself  is  as  favorable  a  place  for 
bird  study  as  one  could  hope  for.  Thick-billed  Fox  Spar- 
rows, (Passer ella  iliaca  megarhyncha),  were  here  the  most 
conspicuous  singing  birds,  and  one  could  not  ask  for  a  more 
musical,  cheerful  songster.  The  loud,  single  whistle  of  the 
Mountain  Quail  was  a  distinctly  new  note,  strikingly  unlike 
the  sit-right-down  of  the  Valley  Quail.  The  birds  called 
from  the  dense  conifers  and  were  exceedingly  difficult  to 
see.  When  alarmed,  they  carried  their  long  crest  feathers 
erect,  a  singular  ornament,  but  one  which  was  quite  in  keep- 
ing with  their  graceful  alertness. 

Green-tailed  Towhees,  with  their  mewing  call  and  bright 
song;  Western  Tanagers  (Piranga  ludoviciana) ,  uttering 
their  clean  cut  clit-tuck  and  unmistakably  tanagrine  chant ; 


H5y  ' 


V  :«?8i    N?i$ 


The  Forest  in  Glen  Alpine 


308  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglets,  the  most  gifted  of  small  feathered 
vocalists;  trilling  J  uncos,  Calaveras,  Audubon's,  Pileolated, 
and  Macgillivray's  Warblers  were  the  birds  whose  voices 
were  most  prominent. 

Several  times  I  saw  Solitaires  perched  silent  and  pen- 
sive, and  about  the  falls  in  the  Glen,  active  Water  Ousels 
were  sometimes  seen,  but  their  song  season  was  over. 

A  nest  of  the  Blue  Grouse,  (Dendragapus  obscurus  sier- 
ra), with  broken  egg-shells,  from  which  the  chicks  had  only 
recently  emerged,  was  found,  June  30,  well  up  the  Glen  and, 
on  one  occasion,  a  bird  of  this  species  was  heard  to  utter  its 
hollow,  ventriloquial  boom. 

Blue-fronted  Jays  were  among  the  common  forest  birds 
and  occasionally  Clarke's  Crows  crossed  the  Glen  from 
tree-top  to  tree-top  to  disappear  up  the  mountain  side. 

The  Woodpeckers  of  this  region  are  of  great  interest 
and  will  afford  the  eastern  ornithologist  some  brand  new 
sensations  in  bird-life.  In  addition  to  the  Eed-shafted 
Flicker  and  the  western  form  of  the  Hairy  Woodpecker,  I 
observed  the  blackbird-like  Lewis's  Woodpecker  in  the 
woods  about  Tallac.  More  generally  distributed  were  the 
quaintly  plumaged  White-headed  Woodpecker,  and  the  Red- 
breasted  Sapsucker,  while,  on  the  surrounding  mountains, 
the  beautiful  Williamson 's  Sapsucker  was  not  uncommon,  a 
nest  containing  young  being  found  in  a  dead  tree  on  July  2. 

All  the  species  mentioned  were  seen  between  June  24  and 
July  5,  1903.  When  I  visited  the  camp  from  June  8  to  10, 
1906,  the  Glen  had  not  yet  shaken  off  the  grip  of  winter. 
Snow-slides,  ten  feet  deep,  blocked  the  trail  and  along  their 
edges,  snow-flowers,  like  little  torches,  blossomed.  The  wil- 
lows and  alders  were  blooming,  White-crowned  and  Fox 
Sparrows,  Olive-sided  Flycatchers,  Mountain  Quail  and 
Chickadees,  were  singing,  but  the  Warblers  had  not  yet 
come  up  from  the  lower  altitudes. 

On  June  30, 1  crossed  the  mountains  on  horseback  at 
Angora  Lake  and  struck  the  Tahoe-Placerville  stage-route 


THE  SIERRAS 


309 


to  the  south,  following  it  over  the  divide  and  down  the  west- 
ern slope  as  far  as  Georgetown  Junction,  which  may  have 
deserved  this  designation  when  this  route  was  the  main 
highway  into  middle  California,  but  which  exists  now  only 
as  a  name.  Here,  I  left  the  road  for  a  trail,  used  by  dairymen 
in  bringing  their  herds  from  the  parched  valleys  to  the  flow- 


Camp  on  Silver  Creek 

er-filled  alpine  meadows,  and  climbed  the  steep  grade 
through  the  forests  to  Silver  Creek,  where  a  junction  was 
made  with  Price,  Louis  Fuertes  and  other  members  of  our 
Glen  Alpine  camp,  who  had  struck  directly  across  the  moun- 
tains, ascending  Pyramid  Peak  by  the  way. 

Here  is  a  trip  through  a  region  filled  with  associations  of 
California's  early  history,  in  which  primitive  means  of 
transportation  still  exist,  but  through  which,  nevertheless,  a 
journey  may  be  made  in  perfect  comfort,  with  opportunity 
to  stop  at  inns  situated  amid  the  wildest  and  most  pictur- 
esque surroundings.  Eeaching  Tallac  the  journey  may  be 


310  CALIFORNIA  BIRD  STUDIES 

continued  by  steamer  across  Lake  Tahoe,  and  the  railway 
reached  at  Truckee.  I  commend  it  with  enthusiasm  to  the 
nature-loving  tourist. 

We  camped  beneath  the  spruces,  at  an  elevation  of  7000 
feet,  and  from  this  base  ascended  to  still  higher  woods, 
where  great  snow  banks  lay  in  the  shade  of  the  trees. 

The  season  was  less  advanced  here  than  in  Glen  Alpine. 
Hermit  Thrushes,  (Hylocichla  quttata  sequoiensis],  were 
singing  divinely,  and  on  several  occasions  I  heard  the  ecs- 
tatic, highly  musical  outburst  of  the  Solitaire.  It  is  wholly 
unlike  the  songs  of  the  Mexican  Solitaires,  (Myiadestes  uni- 
color  and  M.  obscurus),  but  strongly  suggests  the  rapid 
flight  song  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

We  were  now  fairly  in  the  the  Boreal  Zone.  Lincoln 's 
Sparrows  sang  from  the  alders  bordering  the  snow-fed 
brooks,  Canadian  Nuthatches  trumpeted  nasally  from  the 
pines,  while  Pine  Grosbeaks,  (Pinicola  enudeator  calif  orni- 
ca)  and  Evening  Grosbeaks,  (Coccothraustes  vespertinus 
montanus]  furnished  even  more  impressive  evidence  of  the 
boreal  character  of  our  faunal  position.  Still,  less  than  fif- 
ty miles  away,  on  the  warm,  western  Sierran  foot-hills,  I 
had  seen  orange  groves. 

The  nights  were  cool  at  Silver  Creek,  and  rolled  in  our 
blankets,  we  sought  close  companionship  with  the  camp  fire. 

Doubtless  it  was  to  the  sense  of  friendliness  and  good 
cheer,  born  of  a  certain  atmospheric  hospitality  which  char- 
acterizes Sierra  summers ;  to  the  tonic  of  mountain  air ;  to 
the  melody  of  the  Hermit  Thrush  and  joyous  carol  of  the 
Solitaire ;  to  the  singing  of  a  thousand  streams  on  their  way 
to  the  sea ;  to  a  hundred  subtle,  potent  causes,  that  I  may  at- 
tribute the  physical  exhilaration  and  spiritual  exaltation 
which  I  experienced  in  the  Sierras. 

Enter  California  through  the  deserts  that  form  its  south- 
ern boundaries,  but  leave  it,  if  leave  it  you  must,  through 
the  passes  of  these  majestic  mountains.  You  may  go  out 
from  their  shadow  but  never  from  under  their  influence. 


PART   VII. 
BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

THE   PRAIRIES 

THE   PLAINS 

THE    MOUNTAINS 

THE   WHITE   PELICAN 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 
INTRODUCTORY 

The  wild-fowl  which,  twenty  years  ago,  were  so  abund- 
ant in  our  northwestern  boundary  states,  to-day  character- 
ize the  sloughs  and  lakes  of  the  adjoining  Canadian  Prov- 
inces. In  a  short  time,  most  of  them  will  have  retreated  to 
the  still  more  remote  north,  eventually  to  be  forced  beyond 
the  parallel  profitably  habitable  by  the  ranchmen.  Crowded 
at  the  best,  within  comparatively  small  areas,  by  reason  of 
their  aquatic  habits,  the  nature  of  their  haunts  makes 
them  particularly  susceptible  to  those  changes  in  environ- 
ment which  man,  the  settler,  directly  or  indirectly  occasions. 

Shooting,  the  grazing  of  herds  of  sheep  and  cattle,  which 
destroy  cover  or  tread  on  nests,  and  especially  the  draining 
and  tilling  of  land,  are  the  chief  factors  in  reducing  the 
numbers  of  these  ground-nesting  birds,  which,  in  brief,  are 
quickly  routed  by  civilization.  Where,  therefore,  the  map  is 
dotted  with  towns  and  lined  with  railways,  they  can  con- 
tinue to  breed  only  on  islets  and,  even  then,  require  special 
protection. 

It  was  my  valued  privilege  to  have  at  least  a  glimpse  of 
this  wild-fowl  life,  in  June,  1901,  at  Shoal  Lake,  Manitoba, 
and  in  June,  1907,  near  Maple  Creek,  Saskatchewan.  On 
both  occasions  my  time  was  largely  occupied  by  the  require- 
ments of  special  collecting,  but  nevertheless,  observations 
were  made  which  seem  worth  recording.  They  are,  there- 
fore, presented  as  a  contribution  to  the  ornithology  of  a  re- 
gion whose  bird-life  is  so  rapidly  yielding  to  the  pressure  of 
new  conditions,  that  apparently  it  will  soon  be  as  devoid  of 
nesting  wild-fowl  as  are  our  northern  border  states,  unless 
the  Canadian  Government,  profiting  by  our  experience, 
takes  immediate  steps  to  protect  its  birds  during  the  breed- 
ing season. 


314  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

That  laws  prohibiting  the  killing  of  wild-fowl  at  this  sea- 
son, and  the  destruction  of  their  nests  and  eggs,  have  been 
passed  and  are  enforced  is  not  enough.  The  draining  of 
sloughs  and  raising  of  cattle  cannot  be  treated  as  violations 
of  the  game-laws  and  still  both  may  be  more  destructive 
than  many  men  with  guns.  A  more  effective  form  of  pro- 
tection is  needed  and  this  can  best  be  secured  by  the  creation 
of  reservations  or  bird  refuges.  If  it  seems  impracticable 
because  of  their  value  to  the  stock  raiser,  to  set  aside 
sloughs  and  lake  borders  for  this  purpose,  no  good  reason 
appears  to  exist  for  refusing  to  give  the  birds  title,  for  all 
time,  to  the  islets  and  "reefs"  which  are  found  in  many  of 
the  lakes  of  this  region.  These  islets  are  rarely  if  ever  of 
value  to  the  ranchman,  and  they  already  are  of  infinite  value 
to  the  birds.  Protected  by  water  from  their  natural  ene- 
mies, many  birds  are  wholly  restricted  to  them  in  the  nest- 
ing season,  and  with  a  wise  treatment  of  this  question  by 
the  Canadian  Government,  they  would  become  the  wild-fowl 
nurseries  of  western  Canada. 


Double-crested  Cormorants 


THE  PRAIRIES 

The  west-bound  naturalist,  who,  from  a  Canadian  Pacific 
car-window,  has  been  oppressed  by  the  dearth  of  life  in  the 
country  north  of  the  Great  Lakes,  welcomes  the  change  from 
this  desolate  region  to  the  poplar-dotted  prairies  of  Manito- 
ba with  their  teeming  bird-life.  Once  west  of  Winnipeg,  and 
even  in  the  ditches  made  by  grading  the  track-bed — if  they 
be  not  too  near  a  settlement — Grebes,  Coots,  and  Ducks  of 
various  species  may  be  seen  leading  broods  of  young ;  and 
when  the  road  passes  a  reed-bordered  lake,  or  slough,  the 
place  seems  alive  with  these  birds,  Bitterns,  Yellow-headed 
and  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  Black  Terns  and  Franklin's 
Gulls.  I  recall  no  railway  journey  on  which  more  birds  may 
be  seen  from  the  train ;  and  consequently  none  which 
arouses  in  the  arriving  ornithologist  a  higher  degree  of  en- 
thusiastic expectation. 

On  June  13, 1901,  just  after  passing  through  a  bird  com- 
munity of  this  kind,  Mrs.  Chapman  and  I  left  the  Canadian 
Pacific  train  at  Marquette,  a  station  on  the  prairies,  thirty 
miles  west  of  Winnipeg,  bound  for  Shoal  Lake,  eighteen 
miles  to  the  north.  Conveyance  was  eventually  secured 
from  a  neighboring  ranch  and  the  drive  was  notable  chiefly 
for  the  numbers  of  Black  Terns  which,  swallow-like,  circled 
about  the  wagon,  feeding  on  the  insects  we  flushed  from  the 
grass. 

We  pitched  our  tent  as  near  the  southern  end  of  the  lake 
as  the  marshy  nature  of  the  ground  would  permit,  and  not 
far  from  the  cabin  of  an  Englishman  whose  attractive  half- 
breed  wife  prepared  our  meals.  He  acted  occasionally  as 
our  guide;  devoting  himself  between  trips  to  Burton's 
* '  Anatomy  of  Melancholy  ' '  and  a  cabinet  organ  which  he 
played  with  exceptional  taste. 

To  avoid  custom-house  and  transportation   difficulties, 


316  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

we  had  waited  until  arriving  at  Winnipeg,  where  satisfac- 
tory outfits  may  be  hired,  before  securing  our  camp  equip- 
ment. A  ten  by  twelve  wall  tent  was  our  main  shelter,  while 
a  seven  by  seven  wedge  tent  was  used  as  a  work-room  and 
for  short  trips.  The  frequent,  heavy  thunder  showers  kept 
the  thick  prairie  turf  saturated  with  water  and  induced  us 


r  • 


t 


Camp  at  Shoal  Lake 

to  floor  roughly  the  larger  tent  with  such  boards  as  our 
guide  could  spare  from  his  cabin.  Throughout  June  a  camp 
stove  was  by  no  means  a  luxury,  and  each  evening,  a  cover 
having  been  placed  on  the  chimney-top,  a  fire,  smudged  with 
green  poplar  leaves,  was  made,  to  clear  the  tent  of  mosqui- 
toes. These  insects  were  so  numerous  as  to  interfere  with 
field-work  on  the  prairie  and  lake  border  during  the  day, 
while  the  hum  of  their  united  voices  about  our  tent  at  night, 
resembled  the  sound  of  steam  escaping  from  an  engine. 
Fortunately  they  were  not  found  on  the  lake,  nor  even  in 
the  quill-reeds. 

Probably  no  one  but  an  ornithologist  would  have  selec- 
ted our  camp-site,  but  even  had  the  country  been  birdless  it 
would  have  had  attractions  of  its  own.  There  was  the  in- 
spiring breadth  of  the  prairie  view;  there  were  the  endless 


THE  PRAIRIES  317 

reed  forests  with  just  a  strip  of  blue  water  appearing  over 
their  tops;  there  were  the  prairie  flowers — roses,  lilies, 
harebells,  anemones  and  many  others — some  of  which  we 
transplanted  in  their  thick  bit  of  turf  to  form  a  garden  at 
our  tent  door;  and  in  preparation  for  the  almost  daily 
thunder  storms,  there  were  cloud  effects  such  as  I  have 
never  seen  exceeded  elsewhere. 

Shoal  Lake,  first  made  known  to  ornithologists  by 
Donald  Gunn  in  1868,  is  some  thirty  miles  long  with  an 
average  width  of  ten  miles  in  its  southern  third,  and  of 
about  three  miles  in  its  northern  two-thirds.  Its  shores,  for 
the  greater  part,  are  widely  margined  with  densely  growing 
quill  reeds,  which  attain  a  height  of  from  six  to  eight  feet 
above  the  water.  Where  the  fringe  of  reeds  is  a  mile  or 
more  in  width,  the  shore  of  the  lake  can  be  reached  only  by 
following  the  narrow  water  ways  that  wind  through  them. 

The  northern  end  of  Shoal  Lake  is  thickly  wooded  with 
poplar,  but  I  saw  little  of  this  region,  my  work  being  in  the 
main  confined  to  the  vicinity  of  our  camp  where  the  abund- 
ance of  bird-life  left  time  only  for  trips  to  the  islands  in  the 
lake.  Here  the  country  is  more  open,  wide  stretches  of  fer- 
tile prairie  with  its  rich  growth  of  grasses,  being  dotted 
with  groves  of  small  poplars. 

In  the  slightly  lower  ground,  bordering  the  line  of  reeds 
which  marked  the  edge  of  the  lake,  the  grasses  were  denser 
and  there  were  occasional  small  sloughs.  So  flat  is  the  coun- 
try that  from  the  higher  ground  near  our  camp,  the  water  of 
the  lake  was  barely  visible  over  the  tops  of  the  reeds. 

Well  out  in  the  lake  are  a  number  of  small  islands.  In 
some  instances,  they  are  formed  of  only  a  few  great  rocks 
with  a  beach  of  pebbles  when  they  are  known  locally  as 
"reefs."  Such  islands  were  inhabited  by  Double-crested 
Cormorants,  California  Gulls,  Common  Terns,  and  one  held 
a  small  group  of  White  Pelicans,  as  described  in  the  chapter 
devoted  to  that  species. 

Other  and  larger  islands  were  grown  with  grasses,  reeds, 


318  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

and  rose  bushes,  which  invariably  held  the  nests  of  Ducks ; 
Spoonbills,  Baldpates,  Mallards,  Pintails,  and  Blue-winged 
Teal  being  the  common  species,  while  one  nest  of  White- 
winged  Scoter  was  found.  Birds  were  exceedingly  abund- 
ant in  the  reed  forests  of  the  lake,  the  more  characteristic 
species  being  Coots  (Fulica),  Western  Grebes  and  Frank- 
lin's Gulls,  nesting  in  colonies,  Black  Terns,  Black-crowned 
Night  Herons,  American  Bitterns,  Yellow-headed  and  Red- 
winged  Blackbirds,  and  Long-billed  Marsh  Wrens. 

About  the  marshy  border  of  the  lake,  Soras,  Wilson 's 
Phalaropes,  Blue-winged  Teal,  Nelson's  Sparrows  and 
Short-billed  Marsh  Wrens  were  the  commoner  birds;  while 
the  characteristic  prairie  species  were  Bartram's  Sandpi- 
pers, Killdeer,  Nighthawks,  Western  Meadowlarks,  Prairie 
Horned  Larks,  Bobolinks,  Cowbirds,  Vesper,  Savanna  and 
Clay-colored  Sparrows. 

The  lake  and  its  shores  claimed  the  greater  part  of  my 
time  and  but  little  attention  was  devoted  to  the  poplars, 
where  the  birds  observed  most  commonly  were  Crows, 
Kingbirds,  Baltimore  Orioles,  Bronzed  Grackles,  Warbling 
Vireos,  Yellow  Wrarblers,  Catbirds,  Veerys  and  Robins. 

The  location  of  our  camp  by  the  side  of  a  grove  of  pop- 
lars and  near  the  junction  of  prairie  and  marshy  lake  bor- 
der, brought  us  within  sight  or  sound  of  nearly  all  the  birds 
just  mentioned.  The  days  are  long  in  this  latitude  and  at 
half -past  three  each  morning,  we  were  awakened  by  a  group 
of  Yellow-headed  Blackbirds  which  selected  our  poplar 
grove  for  the  delivery  of  their  matutinal  chorus.  If  result 
were  commensurate  with  effort,  the  Yellow-head  would  be  a 
world-famed  songster;  but  something  besides  unbounded 
ambition  and  limitless  muscular  exertion  is  required  to  pro- 
duce music.  In  vain  the  Yellow-head  expands  his  lungs  and 
throws  out  his  chest,  his  wide-spread  tail  testifying  to  the 
earnestness  of  his  endeavor ;  sound  he  produces  in  volume, 
but  surely  such  a  series  of  strained,  harsh  calls,  whistles, 
like  escaping  steam,  grunts,  groans  and  pig-like  squeals 


THE  PRAIRIES 


319 


never  before  did  duty  as  a  song !  In  his  youth  he  does  far  bet- 
ter, the  note  of  the  young  bird  being  a  wooden-rolling  call 
as  different  from  the  voice  of  the  parent  as  is  that  of  a 
young  Baltimore  Oriole.  Before  the  effect  of  novelty  was 
lost,  the  yellow-headed  serenaders  returned  to  the  reeds  and 
the  dominant  bird  song  about  our  camp  for  the  rest  of  the 
day  was  that  of  the  Western  Meadowlark. 

In  the  poplars, 
the  Warbling  Vireo 
was  the  song  leader, 
the  little  double- 
toned  roll  going  off 
at  intervals,  the  time 
of  which  was  regu- 
lated by  the  reply  of 
a  rival  singer  in  a 


Female  Warbling  Vireo 
Incubating 


neighboring  grove. 
From  crowing  Cocks 
to  Vireos,  nothing 
so  stimulates  song 
as  song.  Even 
when  on  the  nest, 
while  his  mate  was 
feeding,  a  Vireo 
near  our  tent  could 

not  refuse  the  song  challenge ;  a  habit  which  guided  me  to 

his  home. 

Unlike    the    Yellow-headed    Blackbird,    the     Bronzed 

Grackle  appears  to  appreciate  his  limitations  as  a  vocalist 

and  makes  small  effort  in  that  direction.  Nevertheless  these 


•  Male  Warbling  Vireo  Singing  on  Nest 


320  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

birds  were  sufficiently  common  to  make  their  notes  a  not  in- 
conspicuous part  of  the  chorus  of  bird  voices.  I  spent  much 
time  in  futile  search  of  a  Grackle  's  nest  which  the  actions  of 
the  birds  indicated  was  in  the  grove  at  our  camp ;  eventually 
it  was  discovered  on  the  ground,  among  the  poplar  sprouts, 
within  sixty  feet  of  the  tent.  With  the  aid  of  an  umbrella 
blind,  it  was  possible  to  observe,  at  close  range,  these  birds 
feeding  their  family  of  four.  The  returning  parent  was  in- 
variably greeted  by  four  mouths  spread  wide  in  mute  ap- 
peal for  food,  and  apparently  the  nearest  bird  was  fed  first. 
But  by  that  nice  adjustment  of  the  nervous  system  which, 
as  Professor  Herrick  has  shown,  prevents  a  young  bird 
from  receiving  an  undue  share  of  food,  there  was  no 
"  swallowing  response  "  from  the  mouth  of  the  well-fed 
youngster  and  the  parent  acting  on  this  hint,  removed  the 
food,  and  tried  another  applicant. 

The  sharp  peek  of  passing  Black  Terns  was  a  frequent 
note.  The  feeding  habits  of  these  birds  and  of  Franklin's 
Gulls  is  a  strange  sight  to  the  eastern  bird  student,  whom 
experience  has  taught  to  associate  members  of  this  family 
with  bays  and  sandy  beaches. 

From  our  tent  door  in  the  early  morning  I  sometimes 
found  the  surrounding  prairie  thickly  dotted  with  Frank- 
lin's  Gulls  actively  hunting  grasshoppers,  the  birds  at  the 
rear  constantly  arising  to  take  the  lead,  only  to  lose  it  to 
those  that  followed.  It  is  a  novel  sight  also,  to  see  these 
beautiful  birds  following  the  plough  to  secure  the  grubs  ex- 
posed in  the  lengthening  furrow,  with  their  white  and  pearl 
plumage  gleaming  against  the  fresh  black  prairie  soil.  The 
Black  Terns,  which  often  take  part  in  the  hunt,  appear  to 
feed  exclusively  on  insects,  and  it  is  only  when  the  high 
winds  set  the  prairie  grasses  rolling  in  long  billows  and 
the  Terns  gliding  low,  gather  insects  from  the  grassy  crests, 
that  one  is  reminded  of  their  relationship  to  birds  of  the  sea. 

From  the  sloughs  came  the  whinny  of  Soras  and  boom- 
ing of  Bitterns,  and  from  the  great  quill  reed  jungles  such  a 


THE  PRAIRIES  321 

babel  of  bird  notes  that  one  could  imagine  all  the  birds  of 
the  lake  were  in  convention  there.  The  Coots  were  responsi- 
ble for  much  of  this  noise,  but  the  yellow-heads  were  not  far 
behind  them,  while  the  loud  grating  whistle  of  the  Western 
Grebe,  the  sonorous  kow-kowing  of  the  Pied-billed  Grebe, 
and  other  weird,  unidentified  calls,  produced  an  indescriba- 
ble and  altogether  delightful  ensemble. 

Although  there  was  no  marked,  sultry,  noonday  period 
and  birds  could  be  seen  in  numbers  from  daylight  to  dark, 
comparative  quiet  reigned  in  the  reeds  during  the  day ;  but 
toward  sunset  the  convention  reassembled,  to  resume  the 
morning's  discussion  in  a  session  which  lasted  until  ten 
o  'clock.  The  birds '  day  was  therefore  between  eighteen  and 
nineteen  hours  in  length.  Grackles  were  seen  feeding  their 
young  as  late  as  half -past  nine,  and  one  asks  whether  the 
greater  amount  of  food  consumed  per  day  does  not  increase 
the  rapidity  of  the  young  bird 's  growth  and  shorten  its  stay 
in  the  nest. 

A  walk  of  fifty  yards  from  our  tent  toward  the  lake, 
which  was  distant  about  three  hundred  yards,  brought  one 
into  the  taller  grasses  of  the  slightly  lower  ground.  This 
was  the  home  of  Wilson's  Phalarope,  a  new  bird  to  me  and 
one  which,  because  of  its  peculiar  marital  customs,  I  observ- 
ed with  no  little  interest.  On  my  appearance,  one  or  two  of 
these  birds  invariably  flew  about  me  with  a  slow,  jerky,  halt- 
ing flight  and  sinuous  movement  of  the  neck,  as  it  uttered  a 
soft  quok.  Usually  the  female  took  the  lead,  the  male  fol- 
lowing. This  pair  of  birds,  I  believe,  had  young  hiding  in 
the  dense  grasses,  but  on  June  15, 1  found  a  nest  with  four 
eggs,  which  on  the  19th  were  within  a  few  days  of  hatching. 
The  male,  as  usual,  incubated,  unaided,  but  it  was  evident 
that  the  female  had  a  keen  interest  in  the  welfare  of  her 
home,  in  spite  of  her  unmaternal  habits,  and  on  every  occa- 
sion when  the  male  was  flushed  from  the  eggs  and  fluttered 
off  over  the  grass,  he  was  joined  by  his  mate  who  showed 
her  interest  by  flying  anxiously  about  me.  These  females, 


322 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


therefore,  are  by  no  means  such  gay  and  irresponsible 
grass  widows  as  they  have  been  said  to  be.  While  they  take 
no  part  in  the  duties  of  incubation  they  nevertheless  are 
clearly  concerned  with  its  results,  appearing  in  defense  of 
their  household  when  circumstances  require  their  presence. 
They  are  exquisite  creatures  and  when  swimming  high  in 


Blue-winged  Teal's  Nest 
The  eggs  were  covered  by  the  bird  when  leaving  the  nest 

the  water  with  dainty  nodding  motion  of  the  head,  present 
as  pleasing  a  picture  of  bird-life  as  beauty  of  plume  and 
grace  of  motion  can  combine  to  produce. 

The  high  grasses  in  which  the  Phalaropes  nested,  evi- 
dently held  also  the  home  of  that  singularly  distributed  bird, 
Nelson's  Sparrow,  whose  little  guttural  trill  was  a  common 
note,  but  in  spite  of  much  anxious  chirping  on  their  part  and 
much  searching  on  mine,  the  birds  succeeded  in  keeping 
their  secret. 


THE  PRAIRIES 


323 


Blue-winged  Teal  also  nested  here,  and  one  of  the  dis- 
tinctive experiences  of  bird  study  in  this  region,  is  the  flush- 
ing of  wild  Ducks  which,  with  a  truly  surprising  flutter, 
tumble  from  their  nest  at  your  feet,  invariably  speeding 
your  circulation  with  a  bound.  Under  these  conditions, 
there  is  no  time  for  that  careful  and  complete  covering  of 


Blue-winged  Teal's  Xest 
The  downy  covering  raised  to  show  the  eggs 

the  eggs  with  a  downy  blanket,  which  precedes  the  more  de- 
liberate departure  from  the  nest,  for  feeding. 

Admirably  as  the  incubating  Duck,  feigning  to  be  wound- 
ed, attempts  to  draw  you  from  her  nest,  the  performance 
is  not  even  a  poor  imitation  of  her  actions  when  she  wishes 
to  cover  the  retreat  of  her  brood.  A  Mallard  one  day  gave 
an  excellent  exhibition  of  this  habit.  At  her  first  call  of 
alarm  the  young  birds  scattered  widely,  no  two,  apparently, 


324 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


going  the  same  way,  and  when  she  had  finished  directing 
their  movements,  she  came  herself  boldly  from  the  reeds  to 
hold  my  attention  by  the  most  elaborate  demonstrations  of 
helplessness. 

A  pair  of  Black  Terns  which  were  nesting  in  a  small 
reed-grown  slough  near  our  camp,  showed  an  even  more 


Black  Tern  Incubating 

remarkable  control  over  their  downy  young,  but  adopted  a 
less  strategic  method  of  protecting  them. 

The  nest  was  discovered,  on  June  16,  on  a  small  knob  of 
mud  and  water-soaked  vegetation  which  had  been  selected 
as  a  foundation  for  the  nest  of  coarse  reeds.  At  this  time  it 
contained  one  egg.  On  June  18  a  second  egg  was  laid  and, 
without  waiting  for  the  usual  complement  of  three,  incuba- 
tion was  begun.  At  no  time  during  this  remarkable  period 
of  a  bird 's  year  did  the  Terns  fail  to  resent  intrusion  on 


THE  PRAIRIES  325 

their  haunts.  The  Blue-winged  Teal  and  Wilson's  Phala- 
rope  nesting  in  the  long  grasses  on  the  border  of  the  slough, 
fluttered  from  their  eggs  only  when  one  seemed  about  to 
step  upon  them,  but  the  Terns  sprang  into  the  air  and,  with 
sharp  screams,  came  to  meet  me  when  I  was  thirty  yards 
away. 

On  June  25,  there  occurred  an  unusually  heavy  fall  of 
rain,  raising  the  water  in  the  slough  several  inches  and 
threatening  to  inundate  the  little  island.  But  the  Terns 
saved  their  eggs  from  the  flood  by  bringing  fresh  nesting 
material  and  raising  the  height  of  their  home ;  though, 
whether  the  action  was  performed  with  a  definite  object  or 
was  merely  such  a  display  of  nest-building  instinct  as  is  not 
infrequently  seen  during  incubation,  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
termine. 

On  July  5,  after  an  incubation  period,  therefore,  of  sev- 
enteen days,  the  first  egg  was  hatched.  Three  days  later, 
with  Ernest  Seton,  who  had  joined  us  on  the  3d,  I  visited 
the  nest,  expecting  to  see  a  pair  of  downy  young  but,  to  our 
surprise  and  disappointment,  it  was  deserted.  Evidently, 
however,  there  was  something  not  far  away  in  which  the 
Terns  were  greatly  concerned.  With  piercing  screams  they 
darted  at  us,  once  actually  hitting  Seton 's  hat. 

Search  failing  to  reveal  any  sign  of  the  young  birds,  the 
camera  was  left  to  play  detective.  Focusing  it  on  the  empty 
nest  and  surrounding  it  with  cat-tails,  we  attached  some 
seventy  feet  of  tubing  and  retired  to  the  high  grasses  of  a 
neighboring  dry  bank.  But  we  were  not  hidden  from  the 
Tern.  She  hovered  over  us,  shrieking  her  disgust  with 
scarcely  a  pause,  turning  her  long  beak  to  this  side  and  that, 
as  she  brought  each  eye  in  turn  to  bear.  Finally  her  craiks 
grew  softer,  and,  fluttering  over  the  nest,  she  uttered  a  soft 
wheent-wheent-wheent,  which  probably  meant  to  her  chicks 
"  It 's  all  right ;  come  back  home  now. ' '  After  half  a  minute 
of  this  calling,  she  fluttered  lower  and  dropped  out  of  sight 
behind  the  reed  barriers. 


326  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

Acting  on  the  belief  that  she  had  called  the  chicks  back  to 
the  nest,  a  dozen  rapid  strokes  were  given  to  the  bicycle 
pump  at  the  end  of  the  tube,  and  the  Tern  promptly  flew  up 
into  the  air,  uttering  her  loud  craik-craik  in  a  way  which 
plainly  showed  us  that  the  shutter  on  the  camera  had  been 
sprung.  Instantly  we  rushed  through  the  mud  and  water  to 
the  nest,  but  only  to  find  it  as  empty  as  before. 


"  She  hovered  near  us  " 

Inserting  a  fresh  plate  in  the  camera,  we  returned  to  our 
hiding  place.  Again  the  Tern  scolded  us  vigorously,  but  af- 
ter a  while,  as  before,  her  fears  seemed  to  decrease;  she 
gradually  drew  nearer  to  the  nest  and  eventually  dropped 
lightly  down  into  the  reeds.  After  waiting  a  moment  for 
her  to  settle  herself,  the  bicycle  pump  was  again  used,  and 
at  the  twelfth  plunge  of  the  piston  the  Tern  shot  upward  as 
though  she  were  blown  from  the  end  of  the  tube !  We  accept- 
ed her  action  as  an  unfailing  indication  that  the  shutter  was 


THE  PRAIRIES 


327 


properly  released  and  once  more  splashed  quickly  through 
the  water  to  see  what  we  might  see ;  but  only  an  empty  nest 
met  our  gaze,  and  we  were  as  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  the 
young  Terns  as  we  had  been  in  the  beginning. 

The  continued  anxiety  of  the  parents,  however,  encour- 
aged us  to  continue  our  efforts  to  solve  the  mysterious  dis- 


Black  Tern  Attacking 

appearance  of  their  chicks,  and,  after  several  more  attempts 
we  reached  the  nest  just  in  time  to  see  the  two  little  ones 
paddling  away  into  the  surrounding  reeds,  like  ducklings. 
This  caused  us  to  believe  that  on  each  occasion  they  had  re- 
turned to  the  nest  only  to  desert  it  again  as  the  old  bird  left 
them,  but  it  was  not  until  the  plates  were  developed,  a 
month  later,  that  we  could  really  put  together  the  whole 


328 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


story.  Its  main  facts  are  shown  in  the  photographs  which 
are  here  reproduced.  One  pictures  the  Tern  while  incubat- 
ing. A  second  pictures  her  brooding  her  young  after  one  of 
their  enforced  baths  in  the  surrounding  waters.  A  compari- 
son of  these  pictures  shows  the  difference  between  the  poses 
of  the  bird  during  incubation  and  while  brooding.  A  third 
photograph  reveals  the  two  little  Terns  just  as  they  Iwl 
(  liirbe'1  into  the  nest  after  their  long  swim  for  safety. 


Black  Tern  Brooding 

The  incident  is  an  extremely  interesting  illustration  of 
the  power  of  that  parental  control  on  which  the  safety  of 
the  young  bird  so  largely  depends.  Here  were  non-natatorial 
birds  which,  at  the  age  of  three  days,  in  response  to  the  com- 
mands of  their  parent,  made,  without  hesitation,  what  was, 
doubtless,  their  first  plunge  into  the  water,  swimming  so  ef- 
fectively that  we  were  unable  to  discover  their  hiding-place, 


THE  PRAIRIES 


329 


although  we  reached  the  nest  within  ten  seconds  after  they 
had  left  it.  Nor  did  they  apparently  return  to  their  home 
until  they  were  directed  to  do  so.  The  commands  of  the  par- 
ent must  have  been  given  from  the  air,  since  pictures  show- 
ing the  old  bird  brooding  its  chicks  were  made  as  soon  as  the 
parent  returned  to  the  nest.  The  old  bird  invariably  sprang 
into  the  air  at  the  click  of  the  shutter  and  the  empty  nest 


"  Two  little  Terns  " 

proved  that  the  young  birds  deserted  it  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, and  this  performance  they  repeated  as  long  as  their 
strength  lasted. 

An  aged  punt,  which  I  trust  was  launched  with  an  apol- 
ogy to  the  lake,  was  used  to  explore  the  reed  forests.  This 
was  exciting  but  exasperating  work.  Strange  calls  from 
just  beyond  the  limit  of  vision  in  the  dense  growth,  lured 
one  to  continued  exertions  with  the  push  pole,  but  the 
swash  of  the  clumsy  craft  gave  warning  of  our  coming  and 
the  unknown  voices  always  remained  a  mystery.  A  pair  of 
HolboelPs  Grebes  had  a  nest  on  a  small  raft  of  water-soaked 
reeds  near  the  boat  landing,  but  my  best  efforts  to  see  the 


330  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

bird  on  its  nest  failed ;  nevertheless,  whether  I  approached 
cautiously  or  as  rapidly  as  possible,  five  warm  eggs  were  al- 
ways carefully  covered,  while  the  bird,  with  body  nearly 
submerged,  uttered  a  sharp  cluck  as  it  swam  nervously 
about  in  the  near-by  reeds.  Fresh  leaves  which  I  placed  on 
the  nest-covering  in  the  morning  were  missing  in  the  after- 
noon showing  that  the  bird  had  returned  to  the  nest  in  the 
meantime.  The  eggs  hatched  June  17. 

The  Western  Grebe,  whether  flushed  from  the  nest  or 
leaving  it  to  feed,  does  not,  as  a  rule,  cover  its  eggs,  and 
only  in  exceptional  cases  were  the  eggs  concealed  by  the 
nest  material.  Nevertheless  I  have  seen  the  birds,  while 
standing  nearly  erect  in  the  nest,  attempt  to  place  some 
covering  over  the  eggs  before  sliding  into  the  water  as  I  ap- 
proached. I  have  found  a  colony  containing  dozens  of  nests 
of  these  birds,  each  with  eggs,  not  one  of  which  was  covered, 
although  the  birds  had  left  them  voluntarily.  Other  obser- 
vations show  that  they  spend  much  time  away  from  their 
nests  during  the  day. 

They  are  splendid,  spirited  birds  and  hold  their  long, 
slender  necks  with  a  dignity  and  grace  of  carriage  which 
should  win  them  the  name  of  Swan-Grebe.  Although  with- 
out the  feather  ' '  ruffs  ' '  of  some  Grebes,  their  shining  black 
crowns  and  sharply  defined,  absolutely  immaculate,  snowy- 
white  cheeks  and  necks  are  striking  characters  and,  when 
seen  at  short  range,  their  bright  red  eyes  increase  the  dis- 
tinction of  their  appearance.  While  preening  their  plum- 
age, they  often  lie  on  one  side  in  the  water,  when  the  light 
flashes  from  their  glistening  breasts  as  it  would  from  a 
mirror. 

When  mating,  the  feathers  of  crown  and  nape  are  fluff- 
ed, the  birds  face  each  other  and,  with  evidently  intense  ex- 
citement, wave  their  heads  and  necks  from  side  to  side  with 
a  swaying,  sinuous  motion ;  then,  as  they  come  together, 
there  follows  a  rush  through  the  water  which  can  be  heard 
above  all  other  sounds  of  the  reeds, 


THE  PRAIRIES 


331 


Yellow-headed  Blackbird  Feeding  Young 

The  Swan  Grebe's  voice  is  a  loud,  double-toned,  whistled 
c-r-r-cc-cr-r-r-ee,  which  can  be  heard  distinctly  when  the 
bird  is  beyond  reach  of  the  eye,  on  the  open  waters  of  the 
lake,  and  even  a  poor  imitation  of  this  far-reaching  call 
brings  the  lakes  of  prairie  or  plain  more  clearly  before  me 
than  the  memory  of  the  note  of  any  other  of  their  bird  in- 
habitants. 

The  average  number  of  eggs  is  four.  The  young  Grebe 
can  swim  the  moment  it  leaves  the  egg  but  at  this  early  age 
it  will  crawl  into  one 's  hand  rather  than  remain  in  the  wa- 
ter. Two  or  three  hours  later,  however,  when  the  plumage 
has  dried,  it  voluntarily  leaves  the  nest  to  accompany  the 
parents,  whose  backs  now  form  its  resting  place.  Should 
the  parent  dive  while  the  young  bird  is  sitting  on  its  back, 
the  little  fellow  is  apt  to  lose  his  place,  then  he  strikes  out 
for  himself ;  swimming  and  diving  readily.  But  when  the 


332 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


downy  chicks  are  held  beneath  the  wing,  whence  the  heads 
protrude  through  the  tertiaries,  they  are  taken  under  the 
water. 

The  feather-eating  habit  of  Grebes  is  well  known  but  I 
believe  it  has  never  been  explained.  Possibly  the  adults 
may  swallow  the  feathers  secured  through  their  frequent 


Coot's  Xest  with  Newly  Hatched  Young 

preening,  but  I  am  at  loss  to  understand  why  chicks  not 
more  than  three  days  old  should  have  their  stomachs  tight- 
ly stuffed  with  a  ball  of  their  parents '  feathers.  In  the  stom- 
ach of  one  I  found  a  compact  wad  of  238  feathers,  and  in 
another  there  were  no  less  than  331.  All  were  the  smaller 
body  feathers  of  the  adult  Grebe. 

While  the  Grebes  and  Coots  were  the  ruling  spirits  of 
the  water,  the  Yellow-headed  Blackbird  was  as  clearly  the 


THE  PRAIRIES 


333 


dominant  bird  of  the  reeds.  This  bird  is  possessed  of  a  per- 
sonality which  would  doubtless  repay  close  study ;  but  it  is 
one  of  the  penalties  of  hurried  collecting  trips  that  but  lit- 
tle time  can  be  devoted  to  one  bird,  if  one  would  gain  even  a 
superficial  idea  of  the  avifauna  as  a  whole.  It  is  your  stay- 
at-home,  not  your  traveling  naturalist  who  has  opportunity 
for  prolonged,  continuous  and  adequate  observation. 


Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  Entering  Nest 

In  spite  of  their  abundance  and  vociferousness,  the  Yel- 
low-heads conducted  their  household  affairs  with  more  or 
less  secrecy.  Their  nests  were  tied  to  the  reed  stems  at  an 
average  height  of  four  feet  from  the  water.  Soaking  wet 
grasses  are  used  in  building  and,  in  drying,  the  well-woven 
structure  becomes  firm  and  dense.  I  did  not  see  the  male 
feed  the  young  birds  while  they  were  at  the  nest,  though  he 
seemed  attentive  enough  after  they  had  made  their  initial 
flight.  A  female  which  I  watched  for  some  hours  in  active  at- 


334 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


tendance  upon  a  brood  of  four  young,  approached  the  nest 
quietly  and  with  the  utmost  caution,  but,  having  delivered 
her  supply  of  food,  she  always  uttered  a  series  of  the  most 
surprising  squawks  as  she  left  the  nest  for  more. 

To  one  accustomed  to  find  Night    Herons    nesting  in 
trees,  often  at  a  height  of  eighty  feet,  it  was  surprising  to 


Young  Black-crowned  Night  Herons  and  Nest 

observe  these  birds  nesting  on  a  platform  of  reed  stalks 
only  two  or  three  inches  above  the  water.  The  structure 
looked  more  like  the  home  of  a  Coot  than  of  a  Night  Heron 
and  aptly  illustrated  the  influence  of  environment  both  in 
determining  the  character  of  the  nesting-site  and  that  of  the 
nest  itself. 

Several  attempts  were  made  to  study  the  bird-life  of  the 
* '  reefs  ' '  in  the  lake,  but  these  islands  were  so  small  and  so 


THE  PRAIRIES 


335 


thickly  populated  with  birds,  that  the  erection  of  the  most 
inconspicuous  kind  of  a  blind  aroused  their  suspicion  and  I 
learned  little  more  of  them  than  is  conveyed  by  the  photo- 
graphs of  their  nests  with  eggs  and  young. 

A  "  reef  "  north  of  the  Narrows  was  so  thickly  covered 
with  the  nests  of  Double-crested  Cormorants,  that  appar- 
ently not  a  site  was  left  unoccupied.  The  black,  half -naked 


Young  Double-crested  Cormorants  and  Nests 

young,  with  rapidly  palpitating  pouches,  sat  panting  in 
their  nests,  crying  like  puppies.  Both  they  and  their  home 
were  as  unattractive  as  birds  and  their  haunts  can  well 
be.  A  perch,  brought  by  an  adult  as  food,  was  said  by  my 
boatman  not  to  have  been  found  in  Shoal  Lake,  where 
pickerel  abound.  It  had  possibly  been  captured  in  Lake 
Manitoba. 

My  failure  to  establish  intimate  relations  with  the  small 
colony  of  White  Pelicans  nesting  in  the  lake,  is  related  be- 


336  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

yond ;  nor  did  I  have  more  success  with  the  California 
Gulls. 

The  Common  Terns  occupied  the  larger  islets  with  sandy 
beaches,  where  their  nests  were  placed  closer  together  than 
I  have  seen  them  elsewhere ;  ten  being  found  in  a  measured 
six-foot  square.  Always  nervous,  possibly  the  proximity  of 
the  four  or  five  hundred  birds,  in  a  colony  which  was  under 
observation  for  some  hours,  accounted  for  the  frequency 
with  which  they  left  their  nests.  Without  evident  cause  of 
alarm,  and  acting  as  a  single  bird,  with  a  rush  of  wings, 
they  would  suddenly  dart  from  their  nests  out  over  the 
water.  Not  a  note  was  uttered  but  as  they  circled  and  flut- 
tered above  their  eggs,  they  called  the  familiar  tear-r-r,  and 
gradually  dropping,  soon  returned  to  their  eggs.  But 
scarce  were  they  settled  when  the  performance  was 
repeated,  and  if  a  hatching  egg  had  not  been  found,  the 
adequacy  of  their  incubation  methods  might  have  been 
questioned.  There  appeared  to  be  exceptionally  wide  vari- 
ation in  the  coloration  of  the  eggs  in  this  colony ;  one  nest 
containing  two  which  were  blue,  and  unspotted. 

A  railroad  now  passes  within  a  stone's  throw  of  our 
camp-site  at  Shoal  Lake  and  the  bird-life  of  the  borders  of 
the  lake  has  doubtless  already  yielded  to  the  changed  condi- 
tions implied  by  increased  accessibility;  but  the  reefs  and 
islets  are  not  so  readily  affected  and  let  us  hope  will  long 
hold  their  own. 


THE  PLAINS 

As  we  journey  westward  through  Manitoba,  following 
the  Canadian  Pacific  railway  into  Saskatchewan  and  east- 
ern Alberta,  the  rainfall  gradually  decreases,  and  when  we 
have  reached  the  isohyetal  line  of  ten  to  fifteen  inches, 
which  swings  northwestward  at  about  the  one  hundred  and 
second  meridian,  we  may  be  said  to  be  fairly  on  the  Plains. 
Except  along  the  streams  or  among  the  sand-hills,  there  is 
no  native  forest  growth,  and  the  eye  may  vainly  search  the 
horizon  for  the  sight  of  a  single  tree. 

The  rolling  ground  is  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of 
grass  which  in  lower,  moister  situations,  is  replaced  by 
higher  species,  a  small  sage  bush,  rose-bushes  and  a  recum- 
bent cactus  grow  sparsely,  and,  in  season,  there  is  a  pro- 
fusion of  flowers.  To  this  sketch  a  botanist  would  add  many 
details  but  here,  at  any  rate,  we  have  those  features  of  the 
vegetation  which  impress  themselves  on  the  layman. 

I  had  always  attributed  the  plainsman's  glorification  of 
his  native  heath  to  lack  of  experience,  love  of  home,  or  the 
influence  of  those  associations  which  so  fortunately  predis- 
pose us  toward  the  land  of  our  birth.  That  a  flat,  treeless, 
featureless  country  could,  from  a  scenic  standpoint,  be  seri- 
ously compared  with  the  forested  and  watered  East,  or  the 
mountainous  West,  seemed  impossible,  but  I  had  only  to 
live  on  the  Plains  to  yield  to  their  compelling  charm. 

In  the  first  place,  the  Plains  are  not  flat  but  are  rolling, 
and  their  sweeping  undulations  not  only  please  the  eye  but 
appeal  to  the  imagination  by  concealing  what  lies  beyond 
each  succeeding  ridge.  The  ridges,  in  turn,  give  a  breadth 
of  view  compared  with  which  one's  horizon  at  sea  is 
restricted ;  and  to  this  measureless  expansiveness  of  the 
Plains,  more  than  to  any  other  characteristic,  is  due  their 


338  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

uplifting  and  exalting  influence.  No  where  else  does  one 
see  so  much  of  the  world  and  yet  seem  so  much  a  part  of  it. 

After  a  sea  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  where,  of  neces- 
sity, one  constantly  watches  the  heavens,  I  have  been  im- 
pressed by  the  narrow  outlook  one  has  in  a  wooded  region. 
But  on  the  Plains,  the  atmospheric  phenomena  of  half  a 
continent  seem  spread  around  one,  and  because  of  the 
greater  diversity  of  the  surface  conditions,  they  are  far 
more  varied  than  at  sea.  I  have  seen  six  distinct  storms 
streaking  the  sky  at  the  same  moment,  each  one  separated 
from  the  other  by  clear  sky  or  variously  colored  clouds ; 
clouds,  too,  such  as  one  sees  only  on  the  Plains,  for,  after  all 
is  said,  the  glory  of  the  Plains  is  their  clouds. 

If  the  life  of  a  wooded  country  were  as  easily  observed 
as  that  of  the  Plains,  their  faunas  might  be  more  readily 
compared,  but  we  have  as  yet  no  complete  census  of  even 
the  vertebrate  forms  of  a  single  square  mile  of  forest; 
while  on  the  Plains  virtually  everything  above  ground  is 
visible  as  far  as  the  eye  can  detect  it ;  the  herds  of  cattle  and 
sheep ;  a  bunch  of  antelope  with  heads  up,  watching  keenly ; 
a  coyote  sneaking  off  and  looking  back  over  his  shoulder ;  a 
kit  fox,  trotting  briskly  and  unconcernedly ;  a  badger  -flow- 
ing over  the  grass  toward  his  home ;  ground  squirrels  scur- 
rying for  their  holes  or  sitting  erect  at  the  entrance  and  pip- 
ing shrilly ;  all  form  part  of  the  readily  observable  mammal- 
life  of  a  typical  Plains  scene. 

The  last  three  weeks  of  June,  1908,  were  devoted  by 
Louis  Fuertes  and  myself  to  field  work  on  the  Plains  about 
Crane  Lake  and  Big  Stick  Lake,  respectively  about  twenty 
miles  east  and  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Maple  Creek.  The 
demands  of  special  collecting  and  the  shortness  of  the  time, 
permitted  us  to  gain  only  a  general  idea  of  the  character  of 
the  avifauna  as  a  whole,  without  attemping  detailed  studies 
of  certain  species. 

When  compared  with  that  of  Shoal  Lake  in  Manitoba, 
the  bird-life  of  Maple  Creek  region  is  distinguished  first,  by 


THE  PLAINS  339 

the  greater  abundance  of  certain  species,  which  are  near 
their  eastern  limit  in  the  first-named  locality,  (examples  are, 
Western  Grebe,  Franklin's  Gull,  California  Gull,  White  Pel- 
ican, Wilson's  Phalarope,  Long-billed  Curlew);  second,  by 
the  presence  of  plains  or  alkaline  lake  species,  not  observed 
about  Shoal  Lake,  (examples  are,  Avocet,  Western  Willet, 
Ferruginous  Bough-leg,  Chestnut-collared  and  McCown's 
Longspurs,  Lark  Bunting,  Sprague's  Pipit);  third,  by  the 
absence  of  those  arboreal  species  which  inhabited  the  pop- 
lars about  Shoal  Lake.  Most  of  these,  however,  would  doubt- 
less have  been  found  if  we  had  searched  the  limited  tree- 
growth  along  Maple  Creek,  or  in  the  sand-hills,  which  dune- 
like  occasionally  arise  in  the  Plains.  Nor  did  we  visit  the  tim- 
ber of  the  ' '  Cypress  Hills, ' '  some  twenty  miles  south  of  the 
town  of  Maple  Creek,  but  examination  of  A.  C.  Bent's  ex- 
cellent list  of  the  "Summer  Birds  of  Southwestern  Saskatch- 
ewan," (The  Auk,  XXIV,  1907,  pp.  407-435;  XXV,  1908, 
pp.  25-35),  shows  that  most  of  the  Manitoban  birds  are  pres- 
ent, while,  with  them,  is  an  interesting  infusion  of  such  west- 
ern forms  as  the  Red-shafted  Flicker,  Arkansas  Kingbird, 
Say's  Phoebe,  Western  Wood  Pewee,  Wright's  Flycatcher, 
Bullock's  Oriole,  Pink-sided  Junco,  Arctic  Towhee,  Audu- 
bon's  Warbler,  Macgillivray's  Warbler,  Long-tailed  Chick- 
adee, Western  Robin,  and  to  this  list  may  be  added  a  Rock 
Wren,  observed  near  Big  Stick  Lake,  June  9. 

The  characteristic  Plains  birds  in  southern  Saskatche- 
wan are  Chestnut-collared  and  McCown's  Longspurs, 
Lark  Buntings,  Horned  Larks,  (Otocoris  alpestris  leu- 
colcema),  Meadowlarks,  (Sturnella  neglecta],  Bay- winged 
Buntings,  (Pocecetes  gramineus  confinis),  and  Rough-leg- 
ged Hawks,  (Archibuteo  ferrugineus).  All  but  the  last- 
named  are  abundant,  while  the  first  four  are  flight  singers, 
and  there  is  virtually  not  a  moment  of  the  day  when  one  or 
more  of  them  cannot  be  seen  or  heard.  The  Meadowlark's 
flight  song,  though  given  as  frequently  as  its  perch  song, 
earlier  in  the  season,  is  less  often  heard  in  June,  when  the 


340  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

bird  commonly  sings  from  a  bush  or  from  that  apparently 
welcome  innovation,  a  fence  post. 

The  Longspurs  and  Lark  Bunting  sing  in  the  air,  in  the 
most  charming  manner ;  not  uttering  their  notes  to  the  time 
of  rapid  wing-vibrations,  but,  having  attained  an  elevation 
of  from  fifteen  to  thirty  feet,  the  wings  are  held  widely  ex- 
panded and,  facing  the  wind,  the  singing  bird  floats,  lightly, 
gently,  earthward,  as  though  its  buoyancy  departed  with  its 
escaping  song.  It  is  an  exquisite  performance. 

The  Longspurs '  songs  are  bright,  cheery,  tuneful  bits  of 
bird  music,  that  of  the  Chestnut-collared  suggesting  a  mini- 
ature of  the  Western  Meadowlark's.  But  of  this  trio  of 
floating  songsters  the  Lark  Bunting  is  the  most  distinguish- 
ed. His  song  is  truly  a  noteworthy  effort,  possessed  of  much 
volume  and  sweetness  and  recalling  strains  of  the  Song 
Sparrow,  the  Mockingbird  and,  especially,  the  Canary.  At 
all  times  conspicuous,  the  male,  when  floating  earthward 
with  outstretcned,  motionless  wings,  becomes  a  striking  fig- 
ure, visible  for  a  long  distance ;  his  colors  a  pronounced  ex- 
ception to  those  of  most  Plains  birds. 

Another  contradiction  in  color  is  found  on  comparing 
the  tails,  in  flight,  of  the  Longspurs  and  Shore  Lark ;  the 
former  being  conspicuously  white,  the  latter  black.  What- 
ever end  is  gained  by  the  white  tail,  whether  of  the  ' '  recog- 
nition, "  or  of  "  signalling, "  it  is  assuredly  not  served  by  the 
black  one ;  still,  both  birds  live  under  the  same  conditions 
and  are  alike  in  general  habits. 

The  marked  change  which  occurs  in  the  character  of  the 
bird-life  as  one  reaches  the  lower  ground  bordering  the 
sloughs,  is  not  heralded  by  a  corresponding  change  in  flora. 
The  alkalinity  of  the  water  is  doubtless  accountable  for  the 
usual  absence  of  bushes  and  trees  about  the  lakes,  and  one 
passes  from  the  dry  and  perhaps  parched  plains  into  the 
mud  and  water  of  the  sloughs,  with  only  a  thickening  and 
lengthening  of  the  grass  which,  in  the  water,  gives  way  to 
small  tules. 


THE  PLAINS 


341 


II 


The  birds,  however,  respond  at  once  to  the  altered  condi- 
tions, and  as  we  approach  a  slough,  the  Chestnut-collared 
Longspur  and  Meadowlark  alone,  of  our  Plains  birds,  re- 
main common ;  the  former  slightly  increases  in  numbers  and 
to  them  are  added  Bartram  's  Sandpiper,  trilling  its  weird 
flute-notes,  while  numerous  Western  Willets,  Marbled  God- 
wits,  Long-billed  Curlews,  and  Killdeer  fly  about  one  crying 
noisily. 

About  the  border  of  the 
sloughs,  are  Avocets,  most 
nervous  and  excitable  crea- 
tures, Wilson's  Phalaropes, 
Soras  and  several  species 
of  shallow-water,  dabbling 
Ducks ;  Spoonbills,  Gad- 
walls,  Mallards,  Pintail  and 
Blue-winged  Teal  being  the 
most  abundant  in  the  order 
named. 

In  the  sloughs  or  lake 
borders,  grown  with  tall 
grasses  and  tules,  the  nest- 
ing birds  are  Western  and 
Eared  Grebes,  Franklin's 
Gulls,  Black  Terns,  Bed- 
heads, Canvasbacks  and 
Ruddy  Ducks,  American 
Bitterns,  flying  about  act- 
ively during  the  day,  Coots,  and  Yellow-headed  and  Bed- 
winged  Blackbirds  (A.  p.  fortis). 

Finally,  there  are  the  birds  of  certain  islands  in  the 
lakes,  to  which,  according  to  the  custom  of  ground-nesting 
colonial  birds,  White  Pelicans,  California  and  Western 
Gulls,  and  Common  Terns,  were  confined,  Wild  Geese,  as 
well  as  some  of  the  slough  border  birds  just  mentioned  be- 
ing, in  some  cases,  associated  with  them.  In  this  land  of 


Bartram's  Sandpiper  on  Nest 


342 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


Young  Long-billed  Curlew 

short  grass,  birds  on  the  prairie  or  about  the  borders  of  the 
lakes,  seemed  double  their  real  size.  Pintail  Ducks  were 
often  mistaken  for  Geese,  while  Geese  when  grazing,  looked 
almost  as  large  as  yearlings ! 

The  camper  on  the  Plains  is  always  confronted  by  the 
difficulty  of  finding  wood  and  good  water ;  but  if  he  can  sup- 
ply his  own  bedding,  he  will  generally  find  a  home  wherever 
there  is  a  ranch.  Scott's  sheep  ranch  at  Crane  Lake  and 
Baynton's  at  Big  Stick  Lake  gave  Fuertes  and  myself  not 


THE  PLAINS  343 

only  a  cordial  welcome  but,  by  information  and  the  use  of 
boats  and  horses,  material  assistance  in  our  search  for 
birds.  At  Scott's  we  occupied  a  wool  shed  within  a  few  yards 
of  the  corral  into  which  two  thousand  sheep  were  driven 
nightly,  while  awaiting  their  turn  in  the  shearing  pens.  The 
experience  gave  us  a  lasting  conception  of  the  vocal  abilities 
of  sheep  and  lambs,  nor  will  we  forget  a  certain  turkey  gob- 
bler who,  with  a  regularity  that  an  alarm  clock  might  envy, 
and  a  frequency  of  repetition  it  could  never  hope  to  equal, 
made  memorable  the  early  hours  of  the  day.  We  were  close- 
ly associated  also  with  numerous  hens  and  roosters,  cats  and 
sheep  dogs,  while  thirteen  young  Wild  Geese  were  the  tamest 
and  most  confiding  creatures  on  the  ranch.  They  were 
hatched  from  sets  of  seven  and  six  eggs  which  had  been 
taken  from  the  Goose  nests  and  placed  under  hens  two  days 
before  the  young  appeared.  On  June  13,  when  first  they 
sought  our  acquaintance,  these  goslings  were  about  two 
weeks  old.  They  acted  as  one  family  and  were  followed 
about  by  a  solicitous  Plymouth  Rock  hen  to  whom  they  paid 
not  the  slightest  attention.  On  one  occasion,  possibly  stimu- 
lated by  contact  with  the  water  of  a  small  puddle,  they 
showed  some  signs  of  fear,  diving  and  running  in  an  excited, 
erratic  way ;  but  at  other  times,  they  fed  peacefully  about 
the  house,  displaying  so  much  confidence  in  man  that  when- 
ever they  chanced  to  see  us  using  a  wash  basin,  they  all  at- 
tempted to  occupy  it  at  the  same  moment,  conclusive  evi- 
dence that  with  Geese,  love  of  water  is  instinctive  and  fear 
of  man  acquired.  Nevertheless,  a  single  day  with  the  parent 
Goose  would  probably  have  made  them  Wild  Geese  in  every 
sense  of  the  word. 

Flocks  of  from  five  or  six  to  thirty  Wild  Geese  were  seen 
daily,  but  the  two  pairs  which  nested  on  a  small  grassy 
island  at  Scott's  ranch,  were  the  only  ones  known  to  breed ; 
and  here,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  their  eggs  are  always 
taken,  Geese  nest  yearly.  The  island  is  about  two  hundred 
yards  long  and  half  as  wide,  and  not  more  than  one  hundred 


344 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


and  fifty  yards  from  the  shore.  But  this  narrow  strip  of  wa- 
ter is  a  sufficient  protection  against  coyotes  and,  in  addition 
to  the  Geese,  about  a  dozen  Ducks,  chiefly  Gadwalls,  a  hun- 
dred or  more  Common  Terns  and  several  hundred  Eing-bill- 
ed  and  California  Gulls  nested  there. 

The  Terns '  nests  were  scattered — one  was  placed  in  an 
old  Goose  nest — but  those  of  the  Gulls  were  thickly  massed 


Young  Wild  Geese 

at  one  end  of  the  island ;  the  Ring-bills  occupied  the  higher 
ground,  while  the  California  Gulls  were  nearer  the  water 
and  built  higher  nests.  The  eggs  of  the  latter  species  were 
apparently  the  first  to  hatch,  young  being  observed  on  June 
14.  These  birds  were  far  from  shy  and  on  being  approached, 
merely  rose  in  the  air  where,  facing  the  wind,  they  hung  sus- 
pended, all  calling  vociferously.  So  closely  did  their  posi- 
tion depend  on  the  direction  of  the  wind  that  one  could  walk 


THE  PLAINS 


345 


around  the  flock  of  clamorous  birds,  viewing  first  their 
heads  then  their  tails,  without  their  attempting  to  face  the 
cause  of  alarm. 

The  California  Gulls  on  Shoal  Lake,  devoured  the  eggs 
deserted  by  White  Pelicans,  but  neither  on  Crane  Lake  nor 
on  Big  Stick  Lake,  where  another  large  colony  was  found, 


Ring-billed  and  California  Gulls 

were  the  Gulls  observed  to  prey  upon  the  eggs  of  other  spe- 
cies. At  the  latter  place,  they  gathered  the  crumbs  which 
fell  from  the  Pelicans '  table  and  did  not  hesitate  to  drive  the 
great  birds  from  their  own  board. 

I  did  not  succeed  in  learning  to  distinguish  these  Gulls 
by  their  notes  alone,  although  there  is  a  difference  in  their 
voices ;  nor  could  I  determine  the  significance  of  their  var- 
ious calls,  as,  with  head  down  or  again  with  head  pointed 
upward,  they  uttered  their  characteristic  kow-kow-kow,  or 
kee-ow.  A  harsh  cuk-cuk-cuk  appeared  to  be  a  note  of  alarm, 
while  a  call  in  which  the  syllables  oo-eek,  oo-eek  were  prom- 
inent, was  more  in  the  nature  of  a  song. 


346  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

About  the  borders  of  the  colony,  the  parent  birds  led 
their  young  into  the  lake  to  bathe ;  both  young  and  old 
ducking  their  heads  into  the  water  repeatedly,  buoyantly, 
with  evident  joy  in  the  performance. 

June  19,  we  launched  a  small  patchwork  box — it  could 
scarcely  be  called  a  boat — at  the  ford  on  Bear  Creek  and 
floated  down  to  Crane  Lake.  This  was  a  thoroughly  enjoy- 
able experience.  The  creek  averages  not  more  than  twenty 
feet  in  width  but  is  deep  and  the  current  bore  us  swiftly. 
Rose-bushes,  or  an  occasional  willow  which  invariably  held 
the  nest  of  a  Bough-leg  or  Swainson's  Hawk,  appeared  now 
and  then  on  the  banks,  but  for  the  greater  part  they  were  as 
bare  as  the  Plains  themselves.  Ducks  jumped,  at  nearly 
every  turn  in  the  creek,  and  there  were  Sharp-tailed  Grouse 
in  the  rose-bushes,  but  it  was  not  until  we  entered  the 
marshes  and  tules  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  that  we  reached 
the  center  of  abundance  of  the  bird-life  of  the  region.  Here 
were  snowy  banks  of  White  Pelicans  and  the  elusive  West- 
ern and  Eared  Grebes,  the  former  uttering  their  characteris- 
tic grating  whistle,  while  to  the  latter  we  attributed  a  loud 
kow-kowing,  singularly  like  that  of  the  Pied-billed  Grebe. 
Franklin's  Gulls  passed  us  on  bounding,  billowy  flight  or 
paused  to  circle  curiously,  and  there  were  a  few  nervous 
Black  Terns.  But  Ducks  and  Geese  were  the  dominant  spe- 
cies. The  Geese,  alert  but  dignified,  watched  us  with  necks 
upstretched  and  were  quickly  convinced  of  our  undesirabil- 
ity.  The  Ducks  took  to  the  air  when  only  their  own  safety 
was  concerned,  but  where  a  family  was  involved,  they  flutter- 
ed painfully  about,  now  before,  now  behind,  and  the  less  at- 
tention we  paid  to  them  the  more  they  paid  to  us.  The 
quaint,  bobbing,  gay  little  Buddy  Ducks,  with  their  rich, 
brown  plumage,  bright  blue  bills,  and  tails  cocked  forward, 
took  wing  only  when  closely  pressed  and  then  sped  away  in 
bumblebee-like  flight  into  the  lake. 

Their  courtship  is  evidently  conducted  on  the  water,  but 
the  Gadwall  pursues  his  mate  in  the  air,  going  at  full  speed 


348  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

and  twisting  and  turning  with  the  erratic  flight  of  a  Barn 
Swallow.  Besides  these  two  Ducks,  there  were  also  Mal- 
lards, Baldpates,  Blue-winged  Teal,  Shovellers,  Pintails, 
Bedheads,  Canvasbacks,  Lesser  Scaups,  Buffleheads,  Coots, 
American  Bitterns  and  Yellow-headed  and  Eed-winged 
Blackbirds. 


Young  Gulls 

The  locality  and  its  bird-life  have  been  well  described  by 
Bent  and  Job,  who  on  June  17, 1905,  estimated  that ; ;  at  least 
150  pairs  of  Ducks  were  breeding  or  preparing  to  breed ' ' 
(The  Auk,  XXIV,  1907,  p.  417),  on  an  island  of  about 
four  acres,  which  here  terminates  the  reedy  growth. 
But  the  following  year,  only  three  nests  could  be  found  and 
we  discovered  less  than  six.  A  coyote  and  a  pair  of  minks 
were  believed  to  be  responsible  for  the  decrease,  but  the  cut- 
ting of  the  grass  by  a  neighboring  ranchman  doubtless  also 
disturbed  the  birds. 

I  devoted  my  time  here  solely  to  collecting  material  for  a 
-group  of  Western  Grebes.  The  birds,  their  nests,  eggs  and 


THE  PLAINS 


34,9 


young  could  be  secured  without  difficulty,  but  I  frankly  con- 
fess that  although  every  means  I  could  devise  was  used  to 
secure  satisfactory  photographs  of  the  birds  themselves,  the 
effort  failed. 

The  instinct  of  incubation  is  apparently  too  poorly  de- 
veloped to  make  the  nest  a  lure,  while  the  shyness  of  the 
birds,  the  instantaneousness  with  which  their  diving  habits 
enable  them  to  disappear,  and  the  denseness  of  the  tules 
among  which  they  lived,  all  militated  against  success.  What- 
ever was  learned  of  the  habits  of  the  bird,  as  it  was  observed 
both  here  and  on  Big  Stick,  has  been  incorporated  in  my 
notes  on  this  species  in  the  preceding  chapter. 


Black  Terns 


THE    MOUNTAINS 

Most  visitors  to  the  Canadian  Rockies,  who  give  any 
thought  to  the  subject,  leave  them,  I  think,  with  the  impres- 
sion that  they  are  unusually  deficient  in  bird-life.  This  be- 
lief is  due,  doubtless,  not  so  much  to  the  restrictions  of  the 
avifauna  as  to  the  overwhelming  grandeur  of  the  region  it- 
self. The  hurrying  tourist,  and  few  there  are,  unfortunate- 
ly, who  do  not  hurry,  is  kept  in  a  state  of  intense  enthusiasm 
by  what  is  probably  the  most  impressive  scenery  he  has  ever 
beheld,  and  from  the  time  he  enters  the  mountains  until  he 
leaves  them,  his  outlook  never  lacks  a  view  which  is  not 
worthy  all  the  homage  his  nature  is  fitted  to  render  to  it. 
Small  wonder,  then,  that  he  has  no  time  to  look  for  birds ; 
and  if  he  does  not  look  for  them  he  will  not  find  them. 

So  far  as  bird-life  is  concerned,  conditions  here  are  es- 
sentially primitive.  There  is  a  settlement  at  Banff,  but,  be- 
yond this,  the  Canadian  Pacific  railway  buildings  and  hotels 
are  almost  the  only  evidence  of  man's  occupation  one  sees 
in  the  mountains.  These  hotels,  erected  for  the  benefit  of 
sight-seeing  tourists,  permit  one  to  step  from  the  train  into 
the  heart  of  the  forest  primeval,  and  find  excellent  accom- 
modations. There  are,  therefore,  no  orchards  or  stubble- 
fields,  or  other  artificial  conditions  favorable  to  the  increase 
of  those  birds  which  readily  adapt  themselves  to  the  ways  of 
man  and  thrive  on  his  bounty.  Nevertheless,  many  birds 
inhabit  these  great  coniferous  woods,  but  the  height  of  the 
trees  and  density  of  the  undergrowth  afford  them  opportun- 
ities for  concealment.  They  are  consequently  more  often 
heard  than  seen,  and  if  one 's  ear  be  not  attuned  to  their  voi- 
ces, they  will  doubtless  pass  unnoticed  and  one  will  have 
missed  hearing  some  of  our  best  songsters,  under  conditions 
which  would  make  the  experience  memorable. 


THE  MOUNTAINS  351 

Burroughs  long  ago  wrote  of  the  ' '  serene  exaltation  of 
spirit  ' '  occasioned  by  the  song  of  the  Hermit  Thrush,  and 
when  one  is  already  thrilled  by  the  majesty  of  the  snow- 
crowned  mountains  and  awed  by  the  grandeur  of  the  for- 
ests, the  calm,  pure,  heavenly  hymn  of  the  Hermit  reaches 
chords  in  one 's  nature  untouched  before. 

Throughout  this  region,  the  Hermit,  (Hylocichla  guttata 
auduboni)  is  a  common  bird,  its  song  season  lasting  until 
the  end  of  July,  while  the  Olive-backed  Thrush  (Rylocichla 
ustulata  subsp.),  which,  as  a  songster,  is  not  far  behind  him 
in  rank,  is  even  more  common.  The  Western  Robin,  which 
differs  from  its  eastern  representative  only  in  the  absence  of 
white  on  the  tips  of  the  outer  tail-feathers,  a  third  member 
of  the  Thrush  family,  is  also  generally  distributed  and  shows 
a  ready  disposition  to  abandon  its  forest  ways  for  a  home 
about  the  haunts  of  man.  At  Glacier,  to  this  trio  of 
Thrushes  is  added  the  Varied  Thrush,  a  bird  of  striking  ap- 
pearance and  remarkable  voice.  As  large  as  the  Robin,  the 
back  is  gray,  the  underparts  rich  brown,  with  a  broad  black 
band  crossing  the  breast.  The  song  of  the  Varied  Thrush 
cannot  be  compared  to  that  of  any  other  bird  whose  notes 
are  known  to  me.  It  is  the  song  of  the  wind,  sung  by  a  bird ; 
a  single,  long-drawn,  double-toned,  wonderfully  vibrant 
whistle  of  one  note.  When  the  singer  is  near,  it  rises  with 
swelling  resonance  until  the  woods  echo  with  its  singular 
timbre,  then  dies  away  without  once  conveying  a  definite 
idea  of  the  bird's  whereabouts.  In  a  moment  or  two  it  is 
repeated,  now  in  a  different  key,  but  always  with  the  inde- 
scribable ringing  quality  which  makes  it  unique  among  the 
songs  of  American  birds.  He  who  actually  sees  the  bird  in 
the  act  of  singing,  may  count  himself  fortunate.  Indeed,  in 
the  forests  about  Glacier,  the  bird  is  at  all  times  difficult  to 
discover.  Here,  from  July  18  to  20,  1907,  we  heard  at  least 
fifty  Varied  Thrushes,  but  did  not  see  one.  On  a  former  vis- 
it, later  in  the  month,  they  frequented  the  lawn  before  the 
hotel  to  gather  food  for  their  still  unfledged  young ;  a  strik- 


352  BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 

ing  response  by  this  elusive  forest  dweller  to  the  advances 
of  civilization. 

In  July,  1901,  on  my  first  visit  to  Glacier,  a  pair  of  Barn 
Swallows,  after  the  charming  manner  of  their  kind,  were 
giving  a  more  complete  evidence  of  their  confidence  in  man, 
by  attempting  to  build  a  nest  beneath  the  hotel  piazza.  The 
conditions,  however,  were  evidently  novel  and  the  mud 
would  not  stick  on  the  smooth  face  of  the  rafter  which  had 
been  selected  as  a  site.  I  ventured  to  nail  up  a  cleat  by  way 
of  foundation.  The  assistance  was  accepted  in  good  part  and 
the  nest  was  completed.  In  1907,  I  found  a  pair  of  Barn 
Swallows  nesting  where  I  had  left  either  them  or  their  pred- 
ecessors six  years  before. 

Trilling  Juncos,  slightly  browner  than  the  eastern  bird, 
are  common  at  the  edges  of  the  wood  along  the  railway  track 
and  particularly  about  the  stables  attached  to  the  hotels. 
With  them  may  be  found  Intermediate  White-crowned 
Sparrows,  whose  plaintive  song  of  five  notes,  so  singularly 
suggestive  of  the  song  of  the  Black-throated  Green  War- 
bler, is  here  one  of  the  most  characteristic  bits  of  bird  mu- 
sic ;  and  from  the  tangle  of  fallen  tree-tops,  the  song  of  the 
Western  Winter  Wren,  trickles  out  like  the  voice  of  a  hid- 
den brook. 

At  Laggan,  the  Fox  Sparrows,  singing  gaily,  succeeded 
as  few  birds  can,  in  making  dark  days  seem  bright  and 
cheerful,  while  from  the  tree-tops,  the  Euby-crowned  King- 
let played  his  magic  flute  and  the  Olive-sided  Flycatcher 
called  his  emphatic  "Come  up  here."  The  Solitaire,  a  dis- 
tinguished figure  in  the  list  of  American  song  birds,  was  not 
uncommon  at  Laggan,  but  only  once  did  I  hear  the  ecstatic 
carrolling  which  takes  the  bird  from  its  feet,  high  above  the 
tree  tops.  This  was  at  timberline  where  the  bird  seemed  lift- 
ed by  the  force  of  its  song,  not  only  above  the  trees  but 
above  the  mountains  tops,  above  the  very  earth  itself.  In 
July  these  are  the  leading  members  of  the  feathered 
choir  in  the  Canadian  Rockies,  which  it  is  evident,  contains 


THE  MOUNTAINS 


353 


some  of  the  most  gifted  songsters  in  America.  The  less-mu- 
sical  or  more  quiet  species  which  I  have  observed  at  this  sea- 
son, include  the  Spotted  Sandpiper,  Richardson's  Grouse, 
Golden  Eagle,  several  species  of  Hawks,  Kingfisher,  Eaven, 
Canada  Jay,  Rocky  Mountain  Jay,  Pine  Finch,  Chipping 
Sparrow,  Violet-green  Swallow,  Bank  Swallow,  Yellow,  Au- 
dubon's,  and  Golden  Pileolated  Warblers,  Chickadee  and 


"  A  strange,  plump  little  figure  " 

Columbian  Chickadee,  Arctic  Bluebird,  and  Dipper.  Of 
this  anomaly  among  birds,  this  diving  Thrush,  I  found  a 
nest  late  in  July,  1901,  in  a  rock  fissure  overhanging  the 
rushing  waters  of  Fish  Creek,  at  Glacier.  It  contained  five 
young,  nearly  fledged,  which  the  parents  fed  as  I  sat  within 
a  foot  of  their  home. 

Swollen  by  the  rapidly  melting  snowfields  stretching 
down  from  Asulkan  Pass,  the  stream  dashed  by  with  so 
great  an  uproar,  that  the  human  voice  was  inaudible  from 
bank  to  bank,  a  distance  of  not  more  than  twenty  feet,  but 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


Nest  of  Dipper 
"  In  a  rock  fissure,  overhanging  the  rushing  waters  " 

the  pebbly  note  of  the  Dipper  penetrated  the  thunder  of  the 
waters  sharply  and  clearly.  A  strange,  plump  little  figure 
he  was,  bobbing  on  a  rock,  barely  above  the  turmoil  of  foam, 
his  white-marked  eyelid  flashing  with  each  wink. 

The  young  were  fed  on  insects,  doubtless  larvae  gathered 
from  the  bottom  of  a  tributary  brook,  up  which  the  birds 
flew  for  a  fresh  supply.  They  never  crossed  the  land,  but 
with  the  whirring  wings  of  bumblebee-like  flight,  followed 


THE  MOUNTAINS  355 

! 

every  bend  of  the  main  stream  to  leave  it  at  right  angles  and 
pursue  an  equally  water-governed  course  to  the  feeding- 
ground. 

The  bird-loving  tourist  may  find  all  the  birds  mentioned, 
and  many  others,  virtually  at  the  door  of  his  hotel,  but  this 
is  not  all  the  region  has  to  offer  him.  By  ascending  those 
mountains  which  reach  above  timberline,  here  at  about  7500 
feet  altitude,  he  will  enter  another  world  with  a  new  fauna 
and  flora,  leaving  behind  him  all  the  forest-haunting  birds, 
and  finding  others  not  one  of  which  he  has  seen  below.  He 
will  leave  behind,  too,  the  hotels  and  some  inharmonious  ele- 
ments of  human  life  for  which  they  are  responsible.  The 
morning  we  left  Lake  Louise  for  Ptarmigan  Pass  ,  fifteen 
miles  to  the  north,  a  westbound  Convention  was  taking  pos- 
session of  the  place,  and  I  have  often  wondered  how  many 
times  my  party  of  artist  and  guide,  with  our  five  horses,  was 
photographed  before  we  crossed  the  railway  at  Laggan. 

We  forded  the  Pipestone,  (now  bankfull  and  flowing  with 
almost  force  enough  to  take  the  horses  off  their  feet),  just 
above  its  junction  with  the  Bow,  making  no  doubt  a  fine  sub- 
ject for  the  last  of  the  kodak-snapping  conventionists  who, 
not  concerned  about  our  photographic  apparatus,  doubtless 
enjoyed  the  experience  more  than  we  did. 

Passing  through  the  Murray  pines  of  the  river  valley,  we 
began  the  ascent  to  the  Ptarmigan  Lakes,  camping  that  af- 
ternoon in  the  Engelman  spruce,  and  Lyall's  larch,  at  tim- 
berline, just  below  the  mouth  of  Ptarmigan  Pass.  The  view 
from  this  point  gave  a  new  meaning  to  the  word  ' '  indescrib- 
able. ' '  The  mountains  across  the  Bow  Valley  to  the  south 
— Temple,  the  peaks  of  Moraine  Lake,  Hungabee,  Le- 
f roy  and  Victoria — form  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  and  im- 
pressive group  in  the  Canadian  Rockies.  To  climb  them  and 
explore  their  passes  and  deeply  cut  valleys,  is  a  thrilling  ex- 
perience, but  it  is  like  viewing  a  play  from  the  stage ;  to  see 
this  stupendous  array  of  snow-clad  peaks,  one  should  as- 
cend the  mountains  to  the  north,  in  themselves  comparative- 


356 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


ly  insignificant,  but  giving  a  breadth  of  vision  which  brings 
the  whole  sublime  panorama  before  one  in  a  single  view. 

From  the  bird  student's  standpoint,  we  were  exception- 
ally fortunate  in  our  choice  of  a  camp-site.  Solitaires,  Her- 
mit Thrushes,  Robins,  Kinglets,  White-crowned  Sparrows, 


The  Ascent  to  Ptarmigan  Pass 

Juncos,  Fox  Sparrows  and  Audubon's  Warblers,  represent- 
ed the  forest  avifauna  above  our  tent,  but  five  minutes '  climb 
took  us  beyond  their  limits  into  the  Arctic- Alpine  zone.  The 
change  would  not  be  more  complete  if  one  should  travel 
through  twenty  degrees  of  latitude,  at  sea  level. 

It  was  the  height  of  Alpine  spring.  Bits  of  azure  water 
marked  openings  in  the  ice  of  the  more  exposed  lakes.  The 
saturated  meadows  were  thickly  starred  with  buttercups. 
Anemones  clustered  about  the  borders  of  the  rapidly  shrink- 
ing snowfields,  and  on  the  rocky  slopes,  heath  and  heather, 
killikinick  and  Dryas,  bloomed  luxuriantly. 


THE  MOUNTAINS  357 

The  mercury  passed  below  the  freezing  point  nightly, 
skimming  the  newly  opened  water  with  ice ;  snow,  sleet  and 
hail-storms  raged  violently  if  brieflly,  but  the  flowers  smiled 
bravely  through  the  frost  crystals,  with  not  so  much  as  a 
wilted  petal  to  show  for  the  experience. 

I  had  come  to  this  ' '  top  of  the  world ' '  to  make  studies 
and  secure  material  for  a  group  of  Arctic- Alpine  birds,  not- 
ably the  Eosy  Snow  Finch,  (Leucosticte  tephrocotis),  and 
White-tailed  Ptarmigan,  (Lag opus  leucurus).  No  birds 
could  emphasize  more  strongly  the  boreal  character  of  the 
life  of  these  mountain  summits.  Snow  Finches  are  found  at 
sea-level  only  north  of  the  sixty-eighth  degree  of  latitude 
and  extend  southward,  above  timberline,  in  the  Eockies,  to 
Colorado,  where  they  nest  at  11,500  feet  altitude,  and  in  the 
Sierras,  to  Mount  "Whitney,  California,  where  they  sum- 
mer as  low  as  about  9500  feet.  They  are  said  not  to  descend 
below  timberline  during  the  summer,  but  we  noted  a  striking 
exception  to  this  rule  at  Lake  Louise,  where  numbers  of 
them  came  regularly  to  feed,  about  the  forest-surrounded 
stable.  They  were  evidently  attracted  by  the  fallen  grain 
and  may  have  learned  of  this  supply  of  food  during  the  win- 
ter when  the  heavy  snowfall  drives  them  to  lower  levels. 

The  Ptarmigan  is  a  characteristic  circumpolar  type  which 
also  finds  a  congenial  home  in  comparatively  low  latitudes 
at  correspondingly  high  altitudes,  ranging,  in  the  Coast 
Eange,  as  far  south  as  Oregon,  and  in  the  Eockies  reaching 
northern  New  Mexico.  Its  distribution  is  not  continuous, 
there  being  many  breaks  in  the  Alpine  portions  of  these 
mountain  chains,  such,  for  example,  as  separate  the  Eockies 
of  Colorado  from  the  main  chain  to  the  northward.  The 
Ptarmigan  of  Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  therefore,  cannot 
have  acquired  their  present  distribution  by  extension  of 
range  southward  under  existing  conditions,  but  are  evident- 
ly to  be  classed  with  the  group  of  northern  plants  and  ani- 
mals, which,  brought  south  during  the  Glacial  Period,  were 
left  stranded  on  Arctic- Alpine  islands  by  the  retreating  ice. 


358 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


Still,  we  observe  that  the  Ptarmigan  of  Colorado  are  the 
same  as  those  of  the  Canadian  Rockies,  evidence  that  the 
birds  have  undergone  no  change  since  the  time  when  their 
distribution  was  continuous. 


Camp  at  Ptarmigan  Pass 
Mt.  Temple  to  the  south 

In  color  as  well  as  in  distribution,  Ptarmigan  are  of  ex- 
ceptional interest.  The  fact  that  they  are  snowy  white  in 
winter  and  mixed  brown,  gray  and  black  in  summer  is  com- 
mon knowledge,  but  it  is  not  generally  known  that  their 
plumages  are  even  more  closely  adapted  to  seasonal  condi- 
tions than  the  striking  change  from  white  to  brownish  would 
imply.  Thus,  in  the  spring,  the  females  molt  before  the 
males,  at  times  acquiring  their  inconspicuous  nesting  cos- 
tume before  the  male  has  lost  a  feather  of  his  winter  dress. 
In  winter,  both  sexes  are  white,  but  in  summer,  the  female  is 
more  quietly  attired  than  the  male,  who  retains  a  few  white 


THE  MOUNTAINS 


359 


feathers  sprinkled  through  the  gray  and  brown  ones  he  has 
lately  acquired. 

The  danger  from  attack  by  Falcons,  Goshawks,  Snowy 
Owls,  and  various  predaceous  mammals,  to  which  the  ab- 
sence of  cover  in  their  environment  exposes  them,  requires, 


American  Pipit  on  Nest 

however,  still  further  adaptations.  In  that  physiological 
cycle  of  events  comprising  the  bird 's  year,  a  complete  re- 
newal of  the  plumage  by  molt  is  required  immediately  after 
the  close  of  the  breeding  season,  when  the  bird  passes  into 
winter  plumage.  If,  however,  the  Ptarmigan  should  follow 
this  custom,  it  would  don  its  white  garb  before  the  coming  of 
snow  and  be  rendered  fatally  conspicuous.  In  defiance, 
therefore,  of  the  laws  of  molt,  the  bird  does  not  acquire  the 
usual  winter  dress,  but  a  gray  supplemental  or  supernumer- 
ary plumage,  evidently  designed  to  carry  it  over  the  snow- 
less  period,  from  the  end  of  the  nesting  season  in  late  July 
or  early  August,  to  the  snows  of  September  or  early  Octo- 


360 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


ber.  This  plumage  appears  only  on  the  exposed  portions  of 
the  bird 's  body  and  is  followed  in  October  by  the  pure  white 
winter  dress.  The  case  is  one  of  the  best  arguments  to  be 
found  among  birds  for  the  value  of,  and  necessity  for  pro- 
tective coloring. 


A  Pair  of  Ptarmigan 

I  had  never  seen  a  living  Ptarmigan  and  an  unsuccess- 
ful search  for  them  in  Colorado  had  sharpened  my  already 
keen  desire  to  meet  this  strongly  characterized  bird  on  its 
native  heather.  But  the  following  morning,  anticipations 
of  finding  Ptarmigan  were  by  no  means  my  only  cause  for 
exhilaration  as  I  passed  easily  over  the  crisp  snow  crust, 
formed  during  the  night.  There  was  the  inspiring,  elemen- 
tal grandeur  of  the  mountains,  the  grateful  sense  of  utter 
isolation,  and  the  primitive  abundance  of  certain  forms  of 
life.  Dozens  of  great  hoary  marmots,  surprised  at  their 
root-digging,  galloped  back  to  their  caves,  scuttling 


THE  MOUNTAINS 


361 


over  the  ground  until  they  were  within  diving  reach  of  their 
own  doors,  when  they  stopped,  sat  up  and  whistled  shrilly ; 
hundreds  of  ground  squirrels  piped  from  the  meadows  and, 
from  the  rock  slides,  the  pika  or  little  chief  hare,  uttered  a 
call  singularly  like  the  sound  produced  by  blowing  on  a 
blade  of  grass  held  between  the  thumbs. 


Ptarmigan  on  Snow 

Snow  Finches  in  scattered  companies,  fed  restlessly 
about  the  border  of  the  snowfields,  or  gathered  insects 
which  had  fallen  on  the  snow  itself.  It  was  only  when  on  the 
snow,  or  when  while  in  flight  they  called  their  crossbill-like 
chuck,  chuck,  that  they  were  easily  observed. 

Pipits  fed  on  the  meadows,  or  rang  the  little  bell  of  their 
flight  song,  from  high  in  the  air,  and,  finally,  my  willing  ear 
caught  a  new  note,  a  loud,  high,  squealing,  crowing  call,  fol- 
lowed by  a  chattering,  chuckling  chut-chut-chut,  which  could 
have  been  uttered  only  by  a  Ptarmigan,  and  I  was  just  in 
time  to  see  two  birds  alight  near  the  base  of  a  rock  slide. 
The  spot  was  reached  as  quickly  as  the  nature  of  the  ground 


362 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


Male  Ptarmigan 


"  As  long  as  he  holds 
statuesque  pose,  he  is 
lichen-covered  rock  " 


his    rigid, 
simply    a 


would  permit,  but  no  Ptarm- 
igan could  be  found,  and  if 
an  additional  chut  had  not 
given  a  clue  they  might  read- 
ily have  remained  unseen. 

With  great  caution  I  ad- 
vanced to  within  about  sixty 
feet,  now  for  the  first  time 
seeing  the  female,  and  open- 
ed fire  with  a  f  ourteen-inch 
lens.  Plates  were  then  expos- 
ed at  diminishing  distances 
until  I  was  actually  within 
reach  of  the  birds,  which 
proved  to  be  tamer  than 
barnyard  fowls.  The  first  ev- 
idence they  gave  of  being 
aware  of  my  presence,  was  to  remain  perfectly  motionless, 
then,  as  I  made  no  further  advance,  they  attempted  to  com- 
bine action  with  rigidity  of  pose  and  were  almost  successful 
in  achieving  this  impossible  feat.  With  painful  slowness,  one 
foot  was  placed  in  advance  of  the  other,  at  the  rate  of  about 
three  steps  to  the  min- 
ute. If  I  drew  so  near  ' 
that  the  birds  seemed 
convinced  that  they 
were  seen,  the  male  as- 
sumed a  more  alert, 
bantam  -  like  attitude,  I 

.  , 

ducking  his  upraised 
head  and  flirting  his  tail 
as  though  inviting  me  to 
conflict. 

The  pose  of  the  fe- 
male was  more  hen- 
like,  and  less  aggres-  Male  ptarmigan  Walking  in  Water 


THE  MOUNTAINS 


363 


"  The  little  brown  bird  in  the  heather  " 
Ptarmigan  Lake  in  the  background 

sive.  She  showed  virtually  no  concern  when  I  was  with- 
in three  feet  of  her,  feeding  about  the  rocks,  and  even  stop- 
ping to  scratch  her  head.  After  an  hour  or  two,  the  male 
became  more  accustomed  to  me,  and  seemed  as  much  at  ease 
as  his  mate,  uttering  a  low,  crooning  note  suggesting  that  of 
a  comfortable  chicken  on  a  sunny  day. 

Convinced  that  this  female  had  a  nest  somewhere  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  and  was  out  for  an  airing  with  her  mate, 


364 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


I  determined  to  watch  them  until  their  morning  walk  was 
concluded.  But  at  the  end  of  three  hours,  my  artist-com- 
panion, Louis  Fuertes,  arrived,  with  news  of  the  discovery 
not  only  of  a  Ptarmigan's  nest  but  of  that  of  a  Pipit,  also. 

I  had  long  before  exposed  my  last  plate  on  the  singularly 
tame  birds  with  which  I  had  been  spending  the  morning,  but 
sad  experiences  with  birds' nests  left  until  "to-morrow," 


"  Almost  permitted  us  to  stroke  her  " 

induced  me  to  return  to  camp  for  a  fresh  supply  and  at  once 
follow  my  fortunate  guide  across  a  snowfield — where  a  bear 
had  preceded  us  the  night  before — to  be  introduced  to  the 
little  brown  bird  in  the  heather. 

No  photographer  ever  had  a  more  patient  sitter.  With- 
out audible  objection,  she  permitted  herself  to  be  pictured 
from  this  side,  then  from  that,  and  almost  permitted  us  to 
stroke  her  as  she  sat  on  her  five  speckled  eggs. 


THE  MOUNTAINS 


365 


But  a  touch  broke  the  spell  of  her  astonishing  stillness, 
and  she  fluttered  off  a  few  yards  only  to  become  motionless 
again.  Herein  lies  the  secret  of  the  invisible  cloak  which 
these  birds  wear.  It  is  not  alone  their  faith  in  it  that  counts. 
All  ground  inhabiting  birds  exhibit  this  confidence  in  the 


Ptarmigan  on  Nest 

protective  value  of  the  dull-tinted  costumes  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree.  In  the  gallinaceous  birds  it  is  most  highly  de- 
veloped, but  none,  in  my  experience,  equals  the  Ptarmigan. 
The  mottled  male,  with  more  or  less  white  and  black  in  his 
plumage,  might  be  thought  a  rather  conspicuously  marked 
bird,  but  as  long  as  he  holds  his  rigid,  statuesque  pose,  he  is 
simply  a  lichen-covered  rock.  Doubtless  we  passed  within 
a  few  feet  of  numbers  of  them  and  were  none  the  wiser. 

The  data  obtained  on  this,  our  first  day's  outing,  was 
sufficient  to  insure  the  successful  accomplishment  of  the  ob- 
ject of  our  expedition.  The  haunting  thought  of  failure  was 


366 


BIRD-LIFE  IN  WESTERN  CANADA 


banished  and  the  rest  of  our  stay  was  occupied  with  the 
study  of  details  and  the  collection  of  accessories.  It  was  a 
journey  of  only  five  hours  back  to  Lake  Louise,  but  we  seem- 
ed to  have  returned  from  a  far  country. 


Female  Ptarmigan 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN* 

Pelicans  are  familiar  to  most  of  us  as  absurdly  dignified, 
ungainly  inhabitants  of  zoological  gardens ;  but  it  is  perhaps 
hardly  fair  to  judge  them  in  an  environment  for  which  they 
are  not  responsible. 

While  in  nature  we  shall  not  find  Pelicans  endowed  with 
that  degree  of  intelligence  and  responsiveness  which  distin- 
guishes certain  birds  higher  in  the  evolutionary  scale ;  they, 
nevertheless,  possess  their  own  unequalled  attractions. 

However  awkward  White  Pelicans  may  appear  in  cap- 
tivity, when  on  the  wing,  they  display  a  superb  mastery  of 
the  air.  I  know  of  no  birds  which  in  flocks  present  so 
grand  a  sight.  TheMan-  o  '-War  Bird  is  the  epitome  of  grace 
and  repose,  in  motion.  A  flock  of  Flamingos  is  thrilling, 
vivid,  spectacular,  but  a  flock  of  White  Pelicans  is  indescrib- 
ably majestic  and  impressive. 

I  recall  a  gathering  of  four  or  five  hundred  of  these  birds, 
which,  one  blustery  June  day,  in  Saskatchewan,  had  left  the 
troubled  waters  of  a  shallow  lake  to  rest  upon  the  prairie. 
In  the  distance,  en  masse,  they  could  not  have  been  distin- 
guished from  a  patch  of  snow.  As  our  wagon  approached, 
they  arose,  all  flapping  heavily,  their  wing  strokes  strongly 
emphasized  by  the  now  exposed  black  flight  feathers.  For 
a  few  moments  they  seemed  to  be  in  confusion,  but  unity  of 
movement  was  quickly  developed,  and  the  whole  flock,  dense- 
ly massed  and  gleaming  with  strange  whiteness  against  the 
dark,  threatening  sky,  moved  toward  the  lake. 

The  direction  of  flight  seemed  well  established,  when  a 
single  bird  left  the  flock,  flying  at  right  angles  to  the  left. 

*  Although  some  of  the  observations  herein  recorded  were  not  made  in 
Canada,  it  seems  desirable  to  include  this  chapter  in  a  part  of  the  book 
which  relates  to  a  region  in  which  the  White  Pelican  is  probably  most 
numerous. 


368  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

The  others  swept  on,  but  they  had  gone  only  a  few  yards 
when  one  or  two,  then  dozens  and,  finally  the  whole  flock 
turned  to  follow.  It  was  a  fine  example  of  acknowledged 
leadership.  Then  with  the  superb  grace,  power,  and  dignity 
which  so  distinguishes  them  when  in  the  air,  the  birds,  on 
set,  expanded  wings,  began  to  soar,  sweeping  in  broad  cir- 
cles higher  and  higher,  until  from  the  snow-bank  of  the  prai- 
ries they  faded  into  a  flurry  of  whirling  snowflakes  in  the 
clouds. 

We  must  also  accord  to  Pelicans  that  respectful  atten- 
tion which  is  the  due  of  extreme  age.  Pelicans  became  Peli- 
cans long  before  man  became  man,  a  study  of  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  eleven  existing  species  leading  to  the  conclusion 
that  at  least  as  late  as  the  latter  part  of  the  Tertiary  Period, 
our  White  Pelican,  and  doubtless  also  other  species,  pre- 
sented much  the  same  appearance  that  it  does  to-day. 

Of  the  eight  Old  World  species,  the  one  inhabiting  south- 
ern Europe  so  closely  resembles  our  American  White  Peli- 
can, that  early  ornithologists  regarded  them  as  identical. 
Nevertheless,  the  localities  at  which  their  ranges  are  near- 
est, are  separated  by  some  8000  miles.  Such  close  re- 
semblance, however,  is  neither  an  accident  of  birth  or  breed- 
ing. Pelicans  did  not  appear  independently  in  the  two 
hemispheres.  Birds  so  like  each  other  and  so  unlike  other 
existing  birds,  must  have  had  a  common  ancestry.  Common 
ancestry  implies,  at  some  time,  continuity  of  range,  and  with 
the  European  and  American  White  Pelicans,  we  may  well 
believe  this  to  have  occurred  in  that  later  portion  of  the  Ter- 
tiary Period,  when  a  warm-temperate,  or  even  sub-  tropical 
circumpolar  climate  existed.  At  this  time,  the  Pelican,  from 
which  we  assume  that  the  European  and  American  White 
Pelicans  have  both  descended,  inhabited  the  shores  of  the 
Arctic  Ocean. 

Eventually,  by  those  climatic  changes  resulting  from  a 
continuously  decreasing  amount  of  heat,  and  culminating  in 
the  Ice  Age,  the  individuals  of  this  hypothetical  Polar  Peli- 


f 


370  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

can,  were  forced  southward,  some  in  Europe,  some  in  Amer- 
ica, but  whether  at  the  same  time  or  not  is  unknown. 

Should  some  swing  of  the  temperature  pendulum  ever 
re-establish  the  pre-glacial  polar  climate,  the  European  and 
American  Pelicans,  following  in  the  wake  of  an  advancing 
favorable  isotherm,  may  meet  again  on  the  shores  of  the  Po- 
lar Sea,  whether  as  two  species  or  one,  who  can  say,  but  in 
the  meantime  we  look  on  them  with  special  interest  as  but 
slightly  differentiated  from  the  bird  which  fished  in  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean  before,  so  far  as  we  know,  man  appeared  upon  the 
scene. 

The  White  Pelican 's  congeners  in  America  are  the  dist- 
antly related  Brown  Pelican  and  its  southern  representa- 
tive, the  Chilian  Pelican.  Both  are  maritime  birds  of  tropi- 
cal shores.  The  former  is  abundant  on  the  Florida  coast, 
and  ranges  northward  to  the  Carolinas;  while  on  the  Pacific 
side,  where  it  appears  with  a  reddish,  instead  of  olive  pouch, 
it  is  found  regularly  as  far  north  as  San  Francisco  and  even 
Point  Reyes.  Both  are  only  one-half  as  heavy  as  the  White 
Pelican,  which,  with  a  weight  of  sixteen  pounds,  a  wing  ex- 
panse of  eight  and  one-half  feet,  and  a  body  of  greater  pro- 
portions than  its  weight  would  imply,  may  claim  to  be  one  of 
the  largest  of  North  American  birds. 

The  adaptability  to  climatic  conditions  to  which  possibly 
the  White  Pelican  owes  its  continued  existence,  in  the  face 
of  changes  to  which  doubtless  many  other  birds  have  suc- 
cumbed, enables  it  to  thrive  in  widely  separated  and  totally 
unlike  portions  of  our  country.  The  presence  of  this  bird  in 
Saskatchewan,  for  example,  indicates  that  it  more  closely 
approaches  the  home  of  its  assumed  Arctic  ancestor,  than  is 
commonly  supposed.  In  truth,  White  Pelicans  go  as  far 
north  as  Great  Slave  Lake,  at  latitude  61  degrees,  each  year, 
though  their  most  northern  known  nesting-place  is  Fort 
Smith  in  latitude  60  degrees.  Nor  are  these  the  only  birds 
of  their  kind  in  this  region,  British  America,  east  of  tin* 
Kockies,  as  far  at  least  as  Shoal  Lake,  forty  miles  northwest 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN  371 

of  Winnipeg,  being  their  known  eastern  outpost.  In  many 
of  the  numberless  lakes  of  Manitoba,  Saskatchewan,  an:l  Al- 
berta, invariably  upon  islands,  White  Pelicans  nest;  a  col- 
ony containing  anywhere  from  a  dozen  to  several  thousand 
birds. 

While  early  writers  tell  us  that  the  White  Pelican  was  at 
one  time  more  or  less  frequently  seen  in  our  North  Atlantic 
States,  there  is  no  record  of  its  ever  having  nested  east  of 
the  Mississippi.  In  western  Minnesota,  Pelicans  nested  as 
recently  as  1878,  and  they  doubtless  also  reared  their  young 
at  favorable  localities  in  the  northern  plains  states,  but  the 
most  eastern  colony  breeding  in  the  United  States  to-day,  is 
found  in  Yellowstone  Park  .  West  of  the  Rockies,  in  the 
Great  Basin,  there  are  Pelican  settlements  on  islands  in 
Utah  Lake,  Utah ;  and  in  Washoe  and  Pyramid  Lakes,  Ne- 
vada, while  a  great  number  nest  in  Lower  Klamath  Lake  on 
the  California-Oregon  line  and  probably  also  on  other  lakes 
of  eastern  Oregon. 

In  California,  they  make  their  home  in  Eagle  Lake  in  the 
northern  Sierras,  and,  until  it  was  drained  in  1904,  they 
nested  on  Kern  Lake  at  the  southern  end  of  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley,  and  I  am  told  that  the  year  after  its  formation,  a 
company  of  these  birds  took  possession  of  an  island  in  the 
Salton  Sea.  These  birds,  therefore,  have  not  only  establish- 
ed the  most  southern  breeding  record  of  their  species,  but 
they  have  also  established  a  record  of  intelligence  in  the  de- 
liberate selection  of  the  only  type  of  home  in  which  it  is  pos- 
sible for  Pelicans  to  rear  their  young. 

Conspicuous  because  of  their  size,  color  and  gregarious- 
ness,  adult  Pelicans  would  be  a  shining  mark  for  the  preda- 
ceous  animals  of  the  mainland,  while  the  fact  that  the  young 
Pelican  cannot  fly  until  he  is  at  least  two  months  old,  indi- 
cates how  little  chance  he  would  have  of  reaching  this  age 
should  his  parents  select  a  mainland  home.  The  security  af- 
forded by  an  island  is  therefore  as  essential  to  the 
continued  existence  of  the  Pelican  as  it  is  to  other 


372  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

colonial,  ground-nesting  birds.  It  has,  however,  always 
been  my  belief  that  such  island  colonies  were  not  the  result 
of  an  actual,  denmte  selection  but  that  they  were  formed 
cumulatively,  tniougn  the  instinctive  return  of  tne  young  to 
the  place  of  birth  in  which  their  parents  had  chanced  to 
settle ;  while  those  birds  which  took  up  their  abode  on  the 
mainland,  were  either  themselves  destroyed  or,  in  any  event, 
never  succeeded  in  rearing  their  young.  But  the  birds 
which  are  reported  to  have  occupied  this  newly  formed 
island  in  the  Salton  Sea,  showed  their  evident  appreciation 
of  the  desirability  of  an  insular  home,  and  in  Saskatchewan 
I  found  evidence  of  this  same  type  of  intelligence. 

In  the  summer,  therefore,  the  White  Pelican  is  an  inhab- 
itant of  fresh  water  lakes  and  the  latitude  to  which  it  has  ex- 
tended its  range,  shows  that  it  has  reacquired  some  of  the 
territory  it  was  forced  to  abandon  during  the  maximum  de- 
velopment of  the  Glacial  Period. 

In  the  winter,  however,  the  White  Pelican  is  chiefly  a 
dweller  on  salt  water.  Some  individuals  spend  this  season 
in  the  lakes  of  the  Mexican  tableland.  The  greater  number, 
however,  winter  along  the  coasts  of  southern  California — 
and  particularly  in  the  Gulf  of  California  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Colorado — south  to  Guatemala;  they  are  also  found 
along  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi  south  to  Mexico  on  the  west  side,  and  to 
Cape  Sable,  at  the  extreme  tip  of  Florida,  on  the  east  side. 
On  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  White 
Pelicans  appear  to  spend  the  winter  only  in  the  Mosquito 
Lagoon.  On  one  occasion,  I  saw  three  of  these  birds  pass- 
ing up  the  coast  at  Palm  Beach,  presumably  en  route  to  the 
one  spot  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  which  they  are  now  known 
regularly  to  frequent. 

In  the  commonly  accepted  meaning  of  the  word,  the 
White  Pelican  is  not  a  game  bird.  Its  flesh  is  useless  for 
food,  and  it  will  neither  ' ;  flush  ' '  nor  ' '  stool ; ' '  but  I  can 
commend  it  to  the  camera  hunter  as  a  quarry  in  every  way 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN  373 

worthy  of  his  most  ardent  endeavor ;  while  to  the  ornithol- 
ogist, it  goes  without  saying,  it  is  species  of  exceptional  in- 
terest. When,  therefore,  I  add  that  my  own  pursuit  of  this 
splendid  bird  has  been  made  in  the  dual  role  of  naturalist 
and  photographer,  it  may  be  imagined  that  a  chase  which 
has  covered  parts  of  a  period  of  six  years  has  brought  me  no 
small  amount  of  pleasure  and,  I  may  add,  at  times  a  corre- 
sponding measure  of  disappointment.  Eventually,  how- 
ever, I  reaped  the  reward  which  generally  comes  to  most  of 
us  if  we  are  given  enough  time  in  which  to  try  for  it. 

My  first  visit  to  the  home  of  the  White  Pelican  resulted 
disastrously  for  the  bird  and  bade  fair  to  end  my  experien- 
ces with  its  kind  in  the  first  chapter.  It  was  on  Shoal  Lake,  a 
treacherous  bit  of  water,  some  thirty  miles  long,  lying  be- 
tween lakes  Winnipeg  and  Manitoba.  While  encamped  on 
its  shores,  during  June,  1901, 1  was  led  to  believe  that  White 
Pelicans  seen  daily  were  nesting  on  a  small  bar  or  '  *  reef  ' ' 
reported  to  exist  five  or  six  miles  out  in  the  lake,  too  far  to  be 
visible  from  land.  The  only  boat  available  was  a  punt,  hard- 
ly large  enough  for  two  passengers,  and  designed  to  push 
around  in  the  quill  reeds,  which  grow  densely  at  the  border 
of  the  lake.  It  was  long  past  the  age  when  retirement  from 
service  was  its  too  obviously  withheld  due,  but  the  lure  of 
the  great  white  birds  minified  its  defects ;  the  voyage  was 
made,  the  island  reached  and  the  birds  found. 

I  had  now  no  doubt  of  the  success  of  my  attempt  to  pho- 
tograph these  before  unpictured  creatures,  and  to  study 
their  habits  under  unique  conditions.  A  group  containing 
six  of  the  twenty-seven  nests  on  the  islet  was  selected,  and 
an  umbrella  blind  was  concealed  in  a  small  patch  of  reeds 
growing  in  a  foot  or  two  of  water.  I  entered  it,  focussed  my 
camera  on  the  nearest  nests,  on  which  in  imagination  the 
birds  were  already  sitting,  and  waited.  At  the  end  of  an  hour 
the  birds  returned,  wheeled  over  the  island  at  a  considerable 
height,  evidently  took  in  the  situation  and  disappeared  to 
return  no  more. 


374 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN 


In  the  meantime  a  storm  which  on  shore  occasioned  both 
loss  of  life  and  property,  developed,  and  we  found  it  impos- 
sible to  leave  the  island.  A  tent-fly,  brought  for  such  an 
emergency,  was  rigged  over  a  pole  supported  at  one  end  by 
a  camera  tripod  and  at  the  other  by  crossed  oars,  and  my 
boatman  and  I  passed  the  night  clinging  to  this  pole  to  pre- 
vent our  shelter  from  being  blown  into  the  lake. 


"  A  tent-fly  ....  supported  at  one  end  by  a  camera  tripod  " 

A  Pelican 's  nest  of  heaped  up  sand  and  pebbles  offered 
the  only  seat  not  under  water  and,  after  removing  the  three 
eggs  it  contained  to  another  nest,  I  gratefully  occupied  it, 
with  thanks  to  the  bird  whose  instinct  had  prompted  it  to 
build  a  home  so  far  above  water  level. 

Toward  morning  the  thunder  and  lightning  ceased  and 
the  rain  showed  less  resemblance  to  a  deluge,  but  the  head 
wind  continued.  We  could  not  induce  a  fire  to  burn  and  we 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN  375 

were  not  provisioned  for  a  siege,  but  before  the  situation  be- 
came unpleasant,  the  wind  fell,  shifted  in  our  favor,  and  we 
reached  the  mainland  to  the  no  small  relief  of  those  await- 
ing us. 

Nine  days  later,  I  made  the  trip  again,  but  only  to  find 
that  the  Pelicans'  eggs  had  been  eaten,  doubtless  by  Gulls, 
six  pairs  of  which  were  also  nesting  on  the  island.  The  ex- 
perience was  not  only  thoroughly  disappointing,  but  sadly 


Pelican's  Nest,  Shoal  LSKC 

enough  it  induced  three  young  ornithologists  to  venture  to 
the  same  "reef"  two  years  later  in  search  of  Pelicans'  eggs. 
Less  fortunate  than  we  were,  they  encountered  one  of  the 
violent  storms  so  characteristic  of  the  region,  and  when 
still  far  from  the  islet  their  boat  filled,  and  two  of  them  were 
drowned. 

The  change  from  the  mosquito-infested  sloughs  and  lakes 
on  the  prairies  of  showery  Manitoba  to  the  desert  sage- 
brush, and  mountains  of  arid  Nevada  i,s  so  great  that  but 
few  birds  are  common  to  both  regions.  Pelicans,  however, 


376  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

ask  only  for  fish  and  an  island  remote  from  man.  It  matters 
not,  apparently,  whether  the  island  be  baked  in  the  torrid 
heat  of  the  Salton  Desert  or  cooled  by  the  sub-arctic  breezes 
of  Great  Slave  Lake,  or  whether  the  fish  are  the  tasteless  pick- 
erel of  muddy  Shoal  Lake,  or  the  delicately  flavored  trout  of 
sparkling  Pyramid  Lake,  whose  praises  Fremont  sang  when 
long  ago  he  made  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water  known  to  the 
world.  Insular  seclusion  and  food  are  the  requisites,  and 
these  are  found  in  so  marked  a  degree  on  Anahao  Island  and 
in  the  surrounding  waters  of  Pyramid  Lake,  Nevada,  that 
the  largest  known  colony  of  White  Pelicans  exists  there. 

In  Pelican  annals,  this  is  historic  ground.  Here,  in  May, 
1868,  Eobert  Eidgway,  while  naturalist  of  Clarence  King's 
Survey  of  the  fortieth  parallel,  found  White  Pelicans  nest- 
ing in  great  numbers  and  added  much  to  our  then  scanty 
knowledge  of  this  species;  particularly  in  regard  to  the 
shedding  of  the  horny  keel-like  knob  which  appears  on  the 
upper  mandible  of  the  Pelican  prior  to  the  nesting  season 
and  is  shed  after  the  eggs  are  laid. 

The  Shoal  Lake  experience  whetted  my  appetite  for  Pel  • 
icans,  and  Ridgway's  published  report,  induced  me  to  lay 
plans  for  Pyramid  Lake  as  possibly  still  a  resort  of  this 
wary  species.  They  matured  in  July,  1903.  On  the  sixth  of 
that  month,  with  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam,  Louis  Fuertes,  and 
two  other  naturalists,  I  drove  from  Wadsworth,  forty  miles 
north  over  the  sage  plains  and  under  the  great  cottonwoods 
which  border  the  Truckee,  to  a  small  road  house  half-way 
up  the  western  side  of  the  lake.  The  whole  region  is  con- 
tained in  the  Piute  Indian  Reservation  and,  beyond  the 
houses  at  the  agency  near  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  this 
road  house  was  the  only  one  seen  occupied  by  a  white  man. 

Pyramid  Lake  is  a  marvelously  beautiful  body  of  water. 
It  is  surrounded  by  treeless  mountains,  whose  strongly  mod- 
elled contours  mirror  the  purple  shadows  of  the  illusively 
clear  desert  air,  and  emphasize  the  atmospheric  effects  over 
and  beyond  the  lake's  ultramarine  waters. 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN 


377 


The  lake  is  thirty  miles  long,  and  ten  miles  wide,  oppo- 
site our  lodging.  When  we  reached  its  shores,  a  storm  which 
had  forced  our  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  foot  steamer  on 
Lake  Tahoe  to  abandon  part  of  her  trip,  was  still  raging. 
Long,  curling,  crested  waves  came  rolling  in,  to  break  on  the 
beach  in  a  manner  creditable  to  the  sea  shore.  We  looked  at 
the  troubled  waters,  at  the  roughly  made,  flat-bottomed 
punts,  the  only  available  boats,  and  at  Anahao,  the  assumed 
island  home  of  the  Pelicans,  seven  miles  from  our  shore — 
and  decided  to  wait. 


Young  Pelicans,  Anahao  Island 

The  Indians  assured  us  that  if  we  did  succeed  in  reach- 
ing the  island  we  would  certainly  be  killed  by  rattlesnakes, 
and  the  long  anticipated  meeting  with  Pelicans  seemed 
somehow  to  IOK-?  much  of  its  charm.  Incidentally  it  may  be 
remarked  that  in  the  end  we  found  abundant  ground  for  the 
Indians '  statement.  But  the  next  day,  the  wind  had  gone, 
the  lake  smiled  in  the  sunlight,  our  apprehension  decreased, 
our  desires  increased,  and  early  the  following  morning,  pro- 
visioned for  a  stay  if  need  be,  we  embarked  in  three  boats 
and,  after  nearly  three  hours  rowing,  reached  the  island.  It 


378  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

is  somewhat  over  a  mile  long,  and  half  a  mile  wide ;  with  a 
central  mass  of  tufa,  some  five  hundred  feet  high,  fringed 
by  fallen  rock.  As  yet  we  had  seen  no  Pelicans  on  it,  but, 
when  climbing  a  rocky  divide  I  looked  over  into  a  snowy 
mass  of  them,  my  exultation  could  be  measured  only  by  the 
time  and  trouble  the  journey  to  my  view-point  had  required. 

Anahao  is  too  big  to  be  seen  at  a  glance,  however,  and 
during  the  day  when  we  completely  covered  it,  eight  distinct 
colonies  of  Pelicans  were  found,  containing  in  all,  4000 
young  Pelicans  and  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine  eggs.  The 
young  ranged  in  age  from  those  just  hatching  to  others 
which  were  befirinnins:  to  acquire  their  wing-feathers.  Gen- 
erally speakinsr,  all  the  young  of  one  colony  were  approxi- 
mately the  same  age ;  suggesting  that  the  various  groups 
formed  quite  distinctive  villages,  and  conducted  their  af- 
fairs wholly  independent  of  one  another. 

As  I  went  from  colony  to  colony  and  the  old  birds  desert- 
ed their  younar  to  flv  out  of  sight  up  the  lake,  I  began  to  rea- 
lize that  it  is  one  thine  to  reach  a  Pelican  settlement  and 
onite  another  to  learn  something  of  the  ways  of  its  inhabit- 
ants. In  vain  T  crawled  into  crevices  in  the  rocks  or  hid  mv- 
self  in  caves,  the  adult  birds  would  reconnoitre  the  srrounr!  in 
some  instances,  but  would  not  return  to  their  homes  and  in 
the  end  T  left  with  onlv  such  information  as  could  be  s-afher- 
erl  from  casual  observation  of  the  vonnsr  and  their  nests. 

The  latter  were  slisrhtlv  heaped  mounds  of  dirt  and  r»eh- 
bles.  hollowed  at  the  top.  much  like  the  nests  found  on  Shoal 
Lake.  The  vonnsr.  when  hatched,  are  ruddv  flesh  oolor 
practicallv  naked.  ^Tiortlv  after  birth,  a  snowv  white 
appears,  which  almost  completelv  covers  the  body  when  fhev 
are  between  two  and  three  weeks  old.  Unlike  the  Brown 
Pelican,  they  are  comparativelv  silent,  their  only  note  beinsp 
a  low,  coughing,  whining  grunt.  Their  appearance  is  far 
from  prepossessing,  and  is  not  improved  by  their  habit  of 
greeting  visitors  with  wide  open  mouth  and  snapping  bill. 

The  desertion  of  the  young,  without  regard  to  age,  by 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN  379 

the  parents,  indicates  a  surprising  lack  of  parental  solici- 
tude. Had  the  old  birds  shown  half  the  spirit  of  a  Catbird 
or  Robin,  an  invasion  of  their  homes  would  have  been  a  ser- 
ious affair ;  but  their  haste  to  make  good  their  own  escape 
gave  us  no  opportunity  to  cultivate  their  acquaintance.  It 
was  observed,  however,  that  no  birds  still  wore  the  knob  on 
the  bill,  while  the  number  of  these  appendages  scattered 
about  the  island  showed  that  many  had  been  shed. 

Our  discovery  of  eight  colonies  or  settlements  of  Peli- 
cans on  Anahao  Island,  where  Eidgway  found  but  one,  indi- 
cates an  increase  in  the  Pelican  population  during  a  period 
when  most  of  the  larger  birds  of  America  have  diminished 
in  numbers.  White  Pelicans,  which  invariably  vanish  when 
man  appears,  have  evidently,  therefore,  found  a  congenial 
retreat  on  Pyramid  Lake,  and  in  view  of  the  remoteness  and 
aridity  of  the  region,  one  might  imagine  that  they  will  long 
continue  to  exist  there  without  molestation.  But,  alas !  civi- 
lization in  a  form  most  fatal  to  certain  species  of  birds,  is 
undermining  their  stronghold. 

Aside  from  local  drainage,  the  Truckee  River  is  the  sole 
water  supply  of  Pyramid  Lake  and  its  sister,  Winnemucca 
Lake.  A  Government  Reclamation  Service  Project,  already 
well  advanced,  taps  the  Truckee  on  its  way  from  Lake 
Tahoe  down  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierras,  in  order  to 
irrigate  the  Carson  Valley.  So  much  water  will  be  taken 
that  only  enough  will  be  left  to  supply  one  of  the  two  lakes 
the  Truckee  feeds.  Winnemucca  is  the  fortunate  one 
while  beautiful  Pyramid  Lake  is  doomed  to  slow  death  by 
evaporation.  As  increasing  alkalinity  kills  the  delicious 
trout  which  now  abound  in  it,  the  Pelicans  will  be  robbed  of 
their  food.  For  a  time  they  may  fish  in  Winnemucca,  but 
eventually  the  shoaling  waters  will  connect  their  island  with 
the  mainland,  and  when  the  requisite  insular  protection  dis- 
appears, the  Pelicans  must  seek  another  island  home. 

Sadly  enough,  the  same  fate  awaits  the  Pelicans  which 
three  years  later  (June  30- July  7,  1907),  I  visited  on  Lower 


380  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

Klamath  Lake,  in  southeastern  Oregon,  on  the  California 
line.  Here  their  island  homes  are  made  by  matted  rafts  of 
of  tule  reeds,  often  acres  in  extent.  The  eggs  are  laid  on 
the  thick  beds  of  fallen  reeds  with  little  or  no  attempt  at 
nest-building.  The  immediate  surroundings  differ  radi- 
cally from  those  which  prevail  on  Anahao  Island,  but  the 
prime  essentials  of  insulation  and  fish  being  present,  other 
details  are  of  minor  importance. 

The  Government  Eeclamation  Service  has  condemned 
this  lake,  not  because  its  waters  are  required,  but  because 
they  are  useless  or,  from  a  strictly  utilitarian  view,  worse 
than  useless.  When  the  project,  now  being  developed,  is 
completed,  they  will  have  disappeared  down  the  Klamath 
River  and  260,000  acres  of  tillable  land  will  have  taken  their 
place.  The  reed  islands  will  strand  in  the  mud,  the  tules 
will  wither  and  alfalfa  flourish  in  their  place,  the  birds,  like 
other  indigenes,  will  find  that  the  Government  Land  Office 
does  not  recognize  a  claim  to  ownership  based  only  on 
priority  of  occupation,  and,  with  their  relatives  of  Pyramid 
Lake,  they  must  search  for  a  new  country.  Doubtless  for  a 
time,  the  peculiar  conditions  they  require,  will  be  available, 
but  later  they  will  surely  be  forced  to  migrate  again,  and 
eventually  they  will  doubtless  have  to  pay  the  penalty  of  all 
forms  of  life  which  cannot  exist  in  contact  with  man. 

The  passing  of  so  distinguished  a  bird  occasions  a  regret 
only  slightly  tempered  by  the  knowledge  that  the  haunts 
from  which  they  have  been  driven  will,  in  due  season, 
become  the  home  of  those  smaller,  more  adaptable  species 
to  which  civilization  means  an  increasing  abundance  of  food 
and  a  decreasing  number  of  enemies. 

Fifteen  different  groups  of  Pelicans,  each  containing 
from  a  score  to  several  hundred  birds,  were  found  nesting 
on  the  rush  islands  of  Klamath  Lake.  The  tules  growing 
about  the  borders  of  the  matted  open  spaces  they  occupied, 
afforded  concealment  for  my  blind  and  from  it  I  finally  saw 
something  of  the  Pelicans '  home-life  at  comparatively  short 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN 


381 


range.  Although  my  blind  had  been  placed  in  position  the 
day  before,  and  was  visible  only  as  a  denser  growth  in  the 
tides,  it  was  sometime  after  I  entered  it  before  the  birds 
ventured  to  return  to  their  down  covered  young,  huddled  in 
the  reed  beds.  Some  came  by  air,  alighting  with  a  resound- 
ing -fluff --fluff  of  their  eight-feet  of  wing-spread ;  others,  like 


Alert  with  head  erect 


stately  ships,  sailed  into  port  at  a  regularly  frequented 
landing  place,  but  all  came  with  much  caution.  My  slightest 
movement,  although  unseen,  appeared  to  alarm  them ;  they 
seemed  to  feel  my  presence.  The  faint  click  of  the  camera 
shutter,  sixty  feet  distant,  placed  them  on  the  alert  with 
head  erect,  and  this  pose  was  sufficient  to  induce  birds  about 
to  land  to  turn  quickly  about  and  swim  back  into  the  lake. 

Finally,  they  became  more  at  ease  and  in  response  to  the 
whining  grunts  of  their  offspring,  opened  their  great  bills, 
down  which  the  young  at  once  plunged  their  heads  and 
necks  in  search  of  the  fish  at  the  bottom  of  the  parental 
pouch,  where  the  young  birds  would  prod  vigorously  about 
for  more  than  a  minute,  the  parent  submitting  patiently.  I 
never  saw  but  one  fed  at  a  time  (the  Brown  Pelican  may 


382  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

feed  three!)  and  on  emerging,  the  young  bird  showed  none 
of  the  signs  of  exhaustion  which  follow  the  young  Brown 
Pelican's  similar  efforts  at  fish-getting.  In  the  confusion 
occasioned  by  my  coming,  the  young  Pelicans  had  deserted 
their  nests  or  home-sites,  and  become  to  my  eyes,  hopeless 
ly  mixed  in  one  compact  wriggling  mass ;  but  the  parent 
birds  evidently  had  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  the  members 
of  their  own  family,  and  established  their  claims  without 
those  evidences  of  excitement  and  petty  quarreling  so  char- 
acteristic of  the  more  nervous  Gulls  and  Terns  nearby. 
Their  only  note  was  a  deep-voiced,  not  loud,  murmuring 
groan. 

The  adult  birds  had  all  lost  the  bill-knobs  and  white 
nuchal  crest  of  the  nuptial  season,  and  the  latter  was  re- 
placed by  the  singular  black  or  grayish  patch  which  is  not 
acquired  until  the  breeding  season  is  well  advanced  and  is 
lost  as  soon  as  it  is  over. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  set  down  here  all  the  details  of  the 
studies  made  on  this  occasion,  but  one  exhibition  of  wing- 
power  which  these  unusually  stolid  birds  gave  me  should 
not  be  omitted.  Pelicans  mount  in  broad  spirals  to  the 
upper  air  not  only  to  escape  from  danger  below,  but  evi- 
dently for  the  exhilaration  of  the  exercise ;  generally,  there- 
fore, numbers  could  be  seen  sailing  serenely  about,  far  over 
head.  On  the  afternoon  in  question  a  thunder  storm  devel- 
oped rapidly,  the  sky  became  ominously  black  and  threaten- 
ing, and  a  strong  wind  whipped  the  tules  into  a  rustling, 
troubled  sea  of  green.  This  atmospheric  disturbance  acted 
upon  the  soaring  birds  in  a  remarkable  manner,  stimulating 
them  to  perform  aerial  feats  of  which  I  had  no  idea  they 
were  capable.  They  dived  from  the  heavens  like  winged 
meteors,  the  roar  of  the  air  through  their  stiff  pinions 
sounding  as  though  they  had  torn  great  rents  in  the  sky. 
Approaching  the  earth  they  checked  their  descent  by  an  up 
shoot  and  then  with  amazing  agility  zig-zagged  over  the 
marsh,  darting  here  and  there  like  Swallows  after  insects. 


384 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN 


Having  now  secured  the  requisite  data,  specimens  and 
photographs  on  which  to  base  a  group  of  White  Pelicans,  I 
abandoned  their  pursuit.  The  following  season,  however, 
brought  me  an  exceptional  opportunity  to  resume  my  study 
of  these  shy  birds. 


Pelican  Scratching  its  Neck 

In  southern  Saskatchewan,  whither  I  had  gone  for  Wild 
Geese  and  Grebes,  I  learned  that  the  White  Pelicans  which 
pass  through  the  region  to  more  northern  existing  resorts, 
had  this  year  remained  to  nest  in  large  numbers.  An  unus- 
ually late  spring,  and  an  abnormal  supply  of  fish  supplied  by 
damming  a  stream  which  flowed  into  the  lake,  were  evidently 
the  incentives  which  had  induced  the  birds  to  remain  south 
of  their  regular  nesting  limit. 

At  least  3000  birds  settled  on  a  small  mud- bar  in  Big 
Stick  Lake.  A  few  pairs  of  Pelicans  had  been  known  to  nest 
here  before,  but  there  was  no  record  of  such  a  snowy  gather- 
ing as  made  the  bar  conspicuously  white  at  a  distance  of 


V     /•'•'.'*  \ 


386  THE  WHITE  PELICAN 

two  miles.  Few  pebbles  and  no  reed-beds  were  available 
for  nesting  material  and  most  of  the  birds  used  weed-stalks, 
some  building  a  not  discreditable  nest,  while  a  few  found 
pebbles,  and  others  used  merely  a  depression  in  the  ground. 
The  nearby  mainland  offered  far  better  nesting  facilities, 
but  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  although  uninspired  by  love  of 
home,  not  one  bird  failed  to  respond  to  its  island-haunting 
instincts. 

On  June  10, 1907, 1  drove  out  to  this  island,  a  method  of 
transportation*  infinitely  preferable  to  those  employed  on 
Shoal  and  Pyramid  Lakes,  though  a  mud-hole  into  which 
horses  and  wagon  threatened  to  disappear,  seemed  to  reveal 
a  far  better  reason  for  the  lake 's  name  than  the  big  stick  of 
timber  on  which  it  is  based.  The  young  birds  were  just 
appearing.  Knowing  that  exposure  to  the  sun  at  this  ten- 
der f eatherless  stage  is  fatal,  I  retired  from  the  island  at 
once,  leaving  behind  a  dummy  blind.  At  this  stage  of  the 
nesting  season,  a  bird 's  parental  instinct  reaches  its  highest 
development  and  even  the  undemonstrative  Pelicans  left 
their  nests  with  reluctance.  Subsequently,  however,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  their  comparative  tameness  could  pos- 
sibly be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  region  in  which  they 
were  accustomed  to  nest,  was  so  remote  from  man  that,  hav- 
ing never  been  disturbed  at  this  season,  they  had  not  learn- 
ed to  fear  him. 

Returning  June  26, 1  found  the  young  sufficiently  well 
clad  with  down  not  to  require  the  shelter  of  the  parental 
breast.  The  dummy  blind  was  replaced  by  the  actual  one, 
my  assistant  departed  and  I  was  left  to  enjoy  a  vividly 
interesting  and  exciting  experience.  The  parent  birds 
settled  on  the  lake  and  swam  in  stately  silence  about  the 
islet.  Slowly  they  came  nearer,  and  with  great  caution  made 
landings  here  and  there,  advancing  from  all  sides  toward 
the  nests  which  surrounded  me.  At  a  fancied  cause  of 
alarm,  with  great  flapping  they  all  took  wing  and  in  due 
time  the  whole  proceeding  was  repeated.  But  finally  they 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN  387 

ventured  to  within  twenty  feet  of  me.  As  they  became  more 
confident,  the  low,  deep  murmur  of  their  voices  increased  in 
volume,  and  seemed  singularly  conversational. 

The  struggling  mass  of  young  birds  which  had  retreated 
from  me  was  slowly  disentangled.  Some  were  pulled  at 
with  the  bill,  some  were  fed,  and  gradually  peace  and  order 
were  restored ;  but  at  all  times  the  blind  was  as  closely 
watched  as  a  suspicious  character.  At  last  my  opportunity 
had  come,  and  with  note-book  and  camera,  I  worked  as 
effectively  as  the  fascination  of  my  position  permitted, 
observing  definitely  many  things  half  seen  before  and 
others  before  unknown,  and  securing  a  series  of  unique  pic- 
tures recording  a  phase  of  bird-life  which  the  ornithologists 
of  a  succeeding  generation  will  doubtless  examine  with  the 
interest  that  we  would  give  to  photographs  of  a  Great  Auk 
colony. 

. 


Walking  Past  the  Blind 


Only  Government  intervention  will  save  the  great  bird 
settlements  of  this  plains  region.  The  emigrants  who  are 
pouring  into  it,  confronted  by  primitive  conditions,  meet  the 
demands  of  the  moment  without  thought  of  the  future.  A 


388 


THE  WHITE  PELICAN 


ranchman  whom  I  met,  thought  that  when  the  young  birds 
were  large  enough,  the  Pelican  inhabited  island  would  be  an 
excellent  place  in  which  to  fatten  his  hogs ! 

It  is,  therefore,  greatly  to  be  hoped  that  the  Canadian 
Government  will,  without  delay,  set  aside  as  bird  reserva- 
tions, at  least  those  islands  which  it  still  possesses,  having 
an  area  of  a  quarter  section  or  less.  The  amount  of  land 
thus  preserved  would,  in  the  aggregate,  be  small,  but  when 
we  recall  the  numbers  of  birds  which  nest  only  on  islands,  it 
is  obvious  that  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  such  an  act 
would  be  incalculable. 


Young  Brown  Pelican 
Yawning 


PART   VIII. 
IMPRESSIONS  OF  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


Selborne  from  the  Hanger 


IMPRESSIONS  OF  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

Next  to  our  native  birds,  there  are  probably  none  of 
more  general  interest  to  the  average  American  nature- 
lover  than  the  birds  of  England.  Personally,  I  confess  that 
my  desire  to  see  and  hear  the  Nightingale,  Skylark,  Black- 
bird, Redbreast,  and  other  characteristic  English  species, 
in  their  haunts,  has  been  more  intense  than  that  which  has 
led  me  to  the  distant  homes  of  tropical  birds.  I  say  ' '  in 
their  haunts,"  with  emphasis,  for  I  have  at  times  with  diffi- 
culty avoided  hearing  these  birds  in  cages;  an  unfortunate 
enough  experience  in  itself,  and  one  which,  having  long  in 
mind  a  pilgrimage  to  their  home,  would  have  deprived  a 
first  impression  of  half  its  force. 

This  longing  to  meet  English  birds  at  home  is  in  part 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  live  in  England,  in  part  to  the  place 
they  occupy  in  English  literature,  and  in  part  to  a  desire  to 
compare  them  with  our  own  birds. 

A  meeting  with  the  same  birds  in  France  or  Germany 
would  not  possess  half  the  charm  of  an  initial  acquaintance 
in  England.  Nearly,  if  not  all,  that  we  know  and  have  read 
of  English  birds,  leads  us  to  associate  them  with  pastoral 
England,  with  copse  and  hedgerow,  down  and  moor;  with 
thatched  roof  and  gray  spire.  For  these  attractive  mental 
pictures,  we  have  to  thank  Wordsworth,  Shelley,  Coleridge, 
Cowper,  and  other  makers  of  English  literature,  to  whose 
influence  we  must  largely  attribute  the  widespread  interest 
in  English  birds,  which,  until  recently,  at  least,  have  been 
better  known  by  name  to  most  Americans  than  have  been 
our  commonest  native  species. 

So  far  as  birds  are  concerned,  however,  the  poets  can 
only  stimulate  our  desires  without  gratifying  them,  and  the 
comparison  of  English  birds  with  ours  is  obviously  out  of 
the  question  until  one  has  seen  and  heard  both.  Even  then 


392  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

it  cannot  be  fairly  made  by  either  an  American  or  English- 
man. This  is  not  a  matter  of  prejudice,  but  of  experience. 
A  bird's  song  is  not  to  be  judged  as  a  musical  composition. 
It  is  an  expression  of  nature  and  its  significance  is  to  be 
measured  by  its  associations. 

No  Englishman  can  read  Lowell's 

"  The  Bobolink  has  come,  and  like  the  soul 
Of  a  sweet  season  vocal  in  a  bird, 
Gurgles  in  ecstasy  we  know  not  what 
Save  June  !    Dear  June  !    now  God  be  praised  for  June." 

with  the  appreciation  of  the  American  who  has  grown  up 
with  the  Bobolink.  Nor  can  Wordsworth's  lines, 

"  O  blithe  new  comer  !     I  have  heard, 
I  hear  thee  and  rejoice. 
O  Cuckoo  !    Shall  I  call  thee  bird 
Or  but  a  wandering  voice?" 

bring  to  the  American  that  sense  of  returning  spring  which 
they  doubtless  convey  to  the  Englishman. 

The  poets  may,  however,  arouse  the  longing  to  see  the 
scenes  and  hear  the  birds  which  have  inspired  them  and  it 
was  with  feelings  of  the  keenest  anticipation  that  I  steamed 
up  St.  George 's  Channel  with  the  unexpectedly  mountainous 
coast  of  Ireland  breaking  the  horizon  to  the  west.  A  House 
Martin,  which  had  boarded  the  steamer  in  latitude  48°, 
longitude  29°,  when  we  were  still  nearly  1000  miles  from 
land ;  and  a  pair  of  Wheatears  and  a  Curlew  which  came 
aboard  140  miles  from  Fastnet  Light,  had  given  us  a  sur- 
prisingly early  glimpse  of  British  birds,  and  we  were  now 
convoyed  by  a  fleet  of  hungry  Grulls  which  had  joined  us  in 
Queenstown  harbor. 

As  we  approached  the  coast  of  Wales,  we  encountered 
small  companies  of  Murres  and  Puffins,  which  nest  in  cer- 
tain small  rocky  islets  or  "stacks"  off  the  neighboring 
shore.  To  the  ornithologist,  the  presence  of  these  boreal 
birds  at  this  season,  (May  25),  was  convincing  evidence  of 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  393 

high  latitude,  and,  at  the  same  time,  an  admirable  illustra- 
tion of  the  faunally  composite  character  of  English  bird- 
life  ;  types  we  are  accustomed  to  consider  representative  of 
northern  and  southern  life-zones  finding  in  England  con- 
genial surroundings. 


"  A  Curlew  which  came  aboard  " 

Scarce  a  week  now  remained  of  the  Nightingale's  song 
season,  and  a  meeting  with  this  most  famous  of  feathered 
musicians  was  made  the  first  object  of  my  ornithological 
pilgrimage.  The  Nightingale  is  a  bird  of  southern  England, 
and  without  loss  of  time  we  passed  through  Liverpool  into 
England,  the  England  of  the  poets  and  birds,  bound  for 
London  to  meet  correspondents  with  news  of  the  most  ac- 
cessible, singing  Nightingales. 

Looking  back  over  many  thousands  of  miles  of  railway 
travel,  I  do  not  recall  a  more  interesting  journey  than  those 
four  hours  between  Liverpool  and  London,  which  gave  me 
my  first  views  of  English  country  and,  incidentally,  of  many 
English  birds.  Pictures,  which  are  generally  of  exception- 
al, rather  than  of  typical  scenes,  and  descriptions,  I  found 


394  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

(and  subsequent  experience  confirmed  the  opinion),  had 
alike  failed  to  convey  a  true  impression  of  rural  England. 

I  had  been  told,  England  was  like  a  great  park  but  I 
found  it  a  farm,  and  a  farm  with  a  surprisingly  large 
acreage  in  pasture  land.  The  hedge  rows,  too,  contained 
more  large  trees,  and  indeed  the  whole  country  was  more 
wooded  than  I  had  expected  to  find  it.  But  grass  and  graz- 
ing herds  are  assuredly  more  attractive  than  the  best-kept 
cabbage  or  turnip  fields,  and  trees  are  a  glory  anywhere.  In 
short,  therefore,  I  found  the  English  country  less  groomed 
and  just  that  much  more  attractive  than  I  had  anticipated. 

Rooks,  Starlings,  Swallows,  Swifts,  Skylarks,  Black- 
birds, Thrushes,  and  Lapwing  Plovers  were  the  common 
birds  seen  from  the  train,  the  latter  furnishing  a  brand  new 
sensation  in  bird-life.  The  bird 's  size,  form,  and  colors,  its 
grace  of  carriage  on  the  ground  and  dashing,  erratic,  aerial 
evolutions,  give  it  high  rank  as  an  attractive  part  of  any 
avifauna ;  while  its  abundance,  in  spite  of  the  demand  which 
places  thousands  of  its  eggs  on  the  market  annually,  is  in- 
explicable. 

Reaching  London,  connections  were  at  once  established 
with  the  the  correspondents  who  were  to  present  me  at  the 
court  of  the  Nightingale.  Singing  birds  were  reported  from 
Surrey  and  also  from  Cambridge,  and  almost  before  I  real- 
ized I  was  in  England  I  found  myself  at  nightfall  in  quiet 
Surrey  by-ways  listening  for  the 

"  Sweet   bird    that   shunn'st  the  noise  of  folly." 

and  in  time  the  notes  of  not  only  one,  but  of  three  birds  rang 
out  in  silvery  clearness  against  the  background  of  the  night. 
They  sang  for  hours.  I  heard  them  when  they  seemed  with- 
in reach ;  and  with  almost  equal  distinctness,  when  I  had 
gone  to  my  hedge-enclosed  home  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across 
the  valley.  They  were  said  to  be  good  singers,  and  I  ex- 
ulted in  the  completeness  of  this  long-anticipated  exper- 
ience. 

The  Nightingale 's  song  was,  of  course,  unlike  my  precon- 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  3Q5 

ceived  idea  of  it.  I  had  expected  a  rushing  outpouring  of 
music,  but  I  found  a  more  deliberate  song  of  disconnected 
phrases  of  from  three  to  five  seconds'  length  each,  followed 
by  pauses  of  almost  equal  duration. 

"  The  Nightingale,  in  transport,  seemed  to  fling 
His  warble  out,  and  then  sit  listening." 

Occasionally  a  more  prolonged  strain  was  given,  but,  as 
a  whole,  the  song  lacked  the  force,  crescendo  and  diminuen- 
do effects  of  a  continuous  effort.  It  is  a  surprisingly  loud 
song,  in  tone  a  decided  whistle ;  a  wonderfully  voluble,  var- 
ied, but  rather  hard  performance.  At  times,  a  measure  or 
two  suggested  portions  of  the  song  of  our  nocturnal  singer, 
the  Chat,  and  again  some  of  the  more  rapid  calls  reminded 
one  of  certain  notes  of  the  Carolina  Wren,  but  as  a  whole  we 
have  no  bird  whose  song  resembles  that  of  the  Nightingale. 

Two  days  later,  at  Cambridge,  hearing  a  Nightingale 
singing  in  the  afternoon,  when  its  voice  formed  merely  a 
part  of  the  spring-time  chorus,  I  was  impressed  alike  with 
the  part  the  bird 's  nocturnal  habits  have  played  in  establish- 
ing its  reputation  as  a  songster  and  with  the  characteristic 
insight  displayed  in  Shakespeare's  lines: 

"The  Nightingale,  if  she  should  sing  by  day 
When  every  Goose  is  cackling,  would  be  thought 
No  better  a  musician  than  the  Wren." 

At  Cambridge,  I  was  the  guest  of  an  English  ornitholo- 
gist whose  home,  with  its  surrounding  acres  on  the  Cam,  af- 
forded opportunities  for  making  the  acquaintance  of  Eng- 
lish birds  under  exceptionally  favorable  conditions.  Not 
only  could  I  roam  where  I  pleased,  unquestioned,  but  the 
quiet,  pastoral  beauty  of  the  meadows,  hedge-rows,  fens  and 
winding  river  combined  with  perfect  weather  to  make  a 
flawless  setting  for  my  initial  impressions  of  English  bird- 
life. 

Here,  on  May  27-29,  beside  the  Nightingale,  I  met  the 
Song  and  Missel  Thrushes,  Blackbird,  Skylark,  Rook,  Jack- 
daw, Starling,  Cuckoo,  Chaffinch,  Eobin  Redbreast,  Linnet, 
Wood  Pigeon,  Turtle-Dove,  Corn  Crake,  Moorhen — all 


896 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


birds  whose  names  are  familiar  to  every  English-speaking 
person— and  other  less-known  species,  thirty-six  in  all. 

.  While  the  same  amount  of  time,  at  a  corresponding  sea- 
son, anywhere  in  the  eastern  United  States  would  have 
yielded  possibly  from  twenty  to  thirty  species  more,  individ- 
ually, the  English  birds  would  outnumber  ours  by  at  least 
two  to  one. 


i 


The  Cam  at  Ditton  Corner 


Judged  by  the  volume  of  its  contribution  to  the  chorus 
of  bird  music,  the  Song  Thrush  was  at  this  time  the  most 
conspicuous  bird.  In  general  habits  and  economy,  it  may 
be  compared  to  our  Eobin,  which  it  appears  to  equal  in  num- 
bers. Its  song,  however,  is  a  finer  performance  than  that  of 
the  American  bird.  It  suggests  that  of  the  Brown  Thrasher, 
but,  while  it  possesses  greater  variety  and  brilliancy,  it  is 
without  the  deliberate  rhythmic  phrasing,  and  lacks  the  rich- 
ness and  volume  which  characterize  the  song  of  that  bird. 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  39,7. 

Next  to  the  Song  Thrush,  and  in  some  places  equalling  it 
in  numbers,  was  the  Blackbird,  a  Thrush  duplicating  our 
-ttobin  in  size  and  form  but  with  jet  black  plumage  and  a 
golden  bill,  and  more  trim  and  alert  in  appearance.  To  my 
ear  tne  JblacKbird  is  the  most  satisfying  of  English  songs- 
ters, its  luscious,  f  uli-navored,  mellow  fluting  has,  in  a 
measure,  the  tender,  spiritual  quality  so  pronounced  in  the 
voices  of  our  Thrusnes,  and  which  1  found  rare  in  the  songs 
of  English  birds.  There  is,  too,  something  naive,  unformed^ 
quaint  and  simple  in  the  Blackbird's  notes,  which  increases 
both  the  attractiveness  of  the  song  and  of  the- songster. 

The  Missel  Thrush,  the  third  of  the  trio  of  common 
breeding  Thrushes,  was  now  feeding  nearly  fledged  young 
and  had  ceased  singing,  an  indication  of  how  much  earlier 
passerine  birds  nest  in  England  than  in  our  middle  eastern 
states. 

In  spite  of  an  effort  not  to  use  preconceived  ideals  as  a 
standard  for  the  actual  thing,  1  could  not  conceal  from  my- 
self a  disappointment  in  the  song  of  the  ISkylark.  While 
one  cannot  but  be  impressed  with  the  passionate  energy 
which  carries  the  bird  hundreds  of  feet  into  the  air,  there  to 
sing,  without  a  moment's  pause,  for  sometimes  ten  or 
twelve  minutes,  I  felt  that  the  bird  would  sing  better  if  he 
did  not  sing  so  much.  He  sings  both  when  exhaling  and  in- 
haling, and  seems  often  to  be  out  of  breath.  The  result  is  a 
marvelous  vocal  feat  surely,  but  the  bird 's  brilliant  twitter- 
ings and  long-drawn  reelings  (I  could  think  of  no  better 
word  with  which  to  describe  a  marked  character  of  its  song) 
did  not  appeal  to  me. 

But  one  can  readily  imagine  that  the  song  of  this  exceed- 
ingly abundant  and  widely  distributed  bird  might  become 

"  Better  than  all  measures 

Of  delightful  sound, 
Better  than  all  treasures 
That  in  'hooks  are  found," 

and  before  leaving  England  I  found  myself  listening  to  it 
with  increasing  pleasure. 


398  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

The  singular  charm  of  the  Cuckoo 's  simple,  double-noted 
call,  however,  I  at  once  acknowledged.  Even  when  one  hears 
it  for  the  first  time,  it  seems  to  voice  the  deeper  joys  of  the 
life  out-of-doors. 

"  Each  thing  to  its  own  depth  was  stirred, 
Leaf,  flower,  and  heaven's  moving  cloud." 

There  is  a  certain  quality  in  the  bird 's  call  which  ap- 
peals to  the  ear  much  as  the  peacef  ulness  of  pastoral  scen- 
ery affects  the  eye.  The  two-syllabled  song  of  our  own  Bob- 
white,  though  quite  unlike,  and  far  cheerier  than  that  of  the 
Cuckoo,  has  this  same  power  of  expressing  the  purity  and 
joyous  serenity  of  a  life  near  to  nature.  The  Cuckoo,  al- 
though it  calls  when  flying,  is  far  more  often  heard  than 
seen,  and  I  found,  as  a  rule,  that  English  birds  were  much 
shyer  and  more  difficult  to  observe  than  ours,  though  I  am 
wholly  at  a  loss  to  account  for  this  apparent  difference.  The 
Song  Thrush  and  Eedbreast  were,  however,  exceptions. 

As  a  familiar  doorstep  bird,  one  would  expect  the  Eed- 
breast to  utter  some  homely  little  lay,  resembling,  for  exam- 
ple, that  of  our  Chipping  Sparrow.  But,  on  the  contrary,  its 
shrill,  winding  pipe  and  detached  fragments  of  song  seemed 
to  me  indicative  of  the  wildness  and  restlessness  which  char- 
acterize some  of  the  notes  of  the  Purple  Finch.  The  Eed- 
breast sings  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  year  and  it 
is  evident  that  one  should  hear  its  song  during  the  compara- 
tively silent  winter  season  if  one  would  understand  the  place 
it  holds  in  English  literature  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  Eng- 
lish people. 

The  House,  or  as  we  miscall  it,  the  '  *  English  ' '  Sparrow, 
claims  with  the  Eedbreast  the  privilege  of  doorstep  bounty, 
but  I  noted  with  satisfaction  that  he  is  no  more  a  favorite  at 
home  than  he  is  in  the  country  of  his  enforced  adoption.  The 
Englishman,  however,  does  not  regard  the  bird  with  the  re- 
sentment of  the  American.  It  is  a  natural  part  of  his  avi- 
fauna and  he  is  not  responsible  for  its  presence.  We,  on  the 
other  hand,  might  have  avoided  a  feathered  race-problem 
which  each  year  becomes  more  serious :  and  it  is  this  knowl- 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  399 

edge  of  our  short-sightedness  that  increases  our  irritation. 

The  abundance  of  this  omnipresent  pest  does  not  atone 
for  the  comparatively  limited  number  of  f ringilline  birds  in 
England.  Where  she  has  eighteen  species  of  regular  occur- 
rence, we  have,  in  a  much  smaller  area  in  the  east,  over  thir- 
ty. The  decrease  in  numbers  of  the  Bullfinch  and  Goldfinch, 
due  to  persistent  trapping,  leaves  the  Chaffinch  as  the  best 
dressed,  most  musical  bird  among  the  common  members  of 
this  family.  One  cannot  wander  far  along  an  English  hedge- 
row without  hearing  the  clear,  metallic  clink-clink  of  this 
tastefully  attired  species.  Its  song  is  a  bright  if  not  highly 
melodious  bit  of  bird-music ;  a  series  of  rather  beady,  hur- 
ried, loud  notes  with  a  wren-like  trill  included  between  its 
slower  opening  and  closing  bars. 

English  Swallows  are  much  like  ours.  Their  Hirundo 
rustica  is  almost  the  counterpart  of  our  Barn  Swallow,  their 
House  Martin  recalls  our  Tree  Swallow,  though  the  birds 
differ  widely  in  nesting  habits,  while  their  Sand  Martin  is  in 
fact  our  Bank  Swallow,  the  only  breeding  British  land  bird 
absolutely  identical  with  its  American  representative. 

The  English  Swift,  however,  is  a  larger,  and  more  strik- 
ing bird  than  ours,  its  forked  tail  adding  greatly  to  its  ap- 
pearance in  the  air ;  but  its  loud,  squealing  notes  are  no  more 
musical  than  the  chattering  twitter  of  our  bird. 

England  has  no  Icterine  birds,  no  Orioles,  Grackles,  or 
Blackbirds,  as  we  term  them,  but  in  place  of  the  latter  there 
is  the  Starling,  one  of  the  most  abundant,  if  not  the  most 
abundant  British  bird.  One  sees  it  everywhere  and  as  early 
as  June,  small  flocks  of  young  and  old  birds  were  observed, 
the  nuclei  of  those  enormous  gatherings  which  have  been 
pronounced  ' '  one  of  the  finest  sights  that  bird-life  presents 
in  England. ' ' 

The  descendants  of  Starlings  introduced  into  Central 
Park,  New  York  City,  in  1890  now  number  thousands  and  in 
view  of  the  bird's  increasing  abundance,  I  attempted  to 
learn  its  economic  status  in  England ;  but  in  default  of  pro- 


400  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

longed  study  of  its  food  habits  at  all  seasons,  no  satisfac- 
tory, conclusive  opinion  of  its  relations  to  man  can  be 
formed. 

The  surprising  abundance  of  Eooks,  which  were  every- 
where  almost  as  numerous  as  are  our  Crows  in  southern 
New  Jersey  in  winter,  also  raised  the  question  of  the  posi- 
tion they  held  in  regard  to  the  agricultural  industries  of  the 
country,  but  again  in  the  absence  of  data,  no  definite  answer 
could  be  obtained. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  importance  of  the  place 
(Starlings  and  liooks  occupy  in  an  English  landscape.  Both 
are  resident  throughout  the  year  and  in  the  winter  their  con- 
spicuousness  is  doubtless  increased. 

While  the  English  Turtle-Dove  may  be  compared  to  our 
Mourning  Dove,  we  have  nothing,  in  eastern  North  Amer- 
ica, at  least,  to  take  the  place  of  the  splendid  Wood  Pigeon. 
To  an  American,  the  abundance,  general  distribution,  and  in 
places,  tameness  of  so  large  and,  doubtless,  so  edible  a  bird, 
is  astonishing. 

They  were  common  wherever  the  country  was  at  all 
wooded,  and  in  some  of  the  parks  of  London,  and  other 
cities,  they  were  seen  walking  about  on  the  lawns  as  much  at 
home  as  were  their  dovecote  relatives.  It  follows,  then,  that 
the  loud,  throaty  coo-er-coo,  coo-coo  of  this  species  and  the 
purring  notes  of  the  Turtle-Dove  were  rarely  wanting  from 
any  chorus  of  English  bird  song. 

Even  more  surprising  than  the  abundance  of  the  Wood 
Pigeon  was  the  number  of  Moorhens  observed.  The  bird  is 
almost  a  duplicate  of  our  Florida  Gallinule  but  I  cannot  con- 
ceive it  possible  for  the  latter  species  to  exist  in  this  country 
under  conditions  which  the  English  bird  finds  favorable. 
Every  reedy  pond  and  puddle  has  one  or  more  pairs,  they 
are  common  in  rivers  when  there  is  sufficient  bordering  vege- 
tation to  give  concealment,  and  they  nest  regularly  in  one  of 
London's  most  frequented  parks. 

While  it  is  perhaps  natural  and  desirable  that  the  poets 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  401 

should  write  of  scenes  and  sounds  which  circumstances  ren- 
der most  characteristic  and  conspicuous,  the  result,  so  far  as 
birds  are  concerned,  is  the  establishment  of  misleading 
standards  and  undeserved  reputations.  Thus,  either  be- 
cause they  were  unknown  or  because  they  did  not  fit  a  theme, 
some  of  England1^  best  songsters  have  been  neglected  by 
the  poets. 

There,  for  example,  is  the  Eeed  Warbler,  whose  sustain- 
ed, continued  song  possesses  a  variety  and  volume  which 
makes  it,  to  my  mind,  one  of  the  most  pleasing  of  English 
song-birds ;  or  that  charming  bit  of  bird  music,  the  easy, 
flowing,  graceful,  natural  song  of  the  Willow  Warbler.  The 
Tree  Pipit,  too,  is  an  exceptionally  good  singer,  while  the 
wild,  sweet,  rapid,  highly  lyrical  song  of  the  Blackcap  is  a 
performance  of  unusual  merit,  suggesting  the  song  of  our 
Orchard  Oriole. 

But  whether  or  not  the  visiting  student  of  English  bird- 
life  is  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  friend  at  Cambridge  or  in 
some  equally  favorable  locality,  he  should  under  no  consid- 
eration fail  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Selborne.  To  my  mind 
there  is  no  place  in  England  where  the  characteristic  birds 
of  the  country  can  be  seen  and  heard  to  better  advantage. 

Five  miles  from  a  railway  and  the  nearest  town,  Selborne 
does  not  seem  to  have  changed  materially  since  the  days  of 
Gilbert  White.  Whether  as  the  home  of  White  or  as  a  bit  of 
rural  England,  Selborne  more  than  satisfies  one's  precon- 
ceived ideals ;  although  they  are  generally  of  so  composite  a 
nature,  so  wrought  of  numberless  impressions  that  usually 
,they  are  too  far  from  the  mark  ever  to  be  realized.  But  he 
who  cannot  find  in  Selborne 's  lanes  and  hedgerows,  pastures 
and  cultivated  fields,  beech-woods  and  gorse,  thatched  roofs 
and  chimney  pots,  sturdy  horses  and  plodding  teamsters, 
village  and  manor  life,  material  with  which  to  construct 
every  picture  of  English  country-life  he  had  ever  imagined, 
should  control  his  imagination  and  develop  his  constructive 
abilities. 


402  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

Birds  were  abundant  at  Selborne,  as  indeed  they  were 
everywhere,  but  the  large  area  and  varied  topography  of 
public  ground  near  the  town,  offers  to  the  unintroduced 
tourist  exceptionally  favorable  and  attractive  opportunities 
for  observation. 

But  it  is  primarily  because  Selborne  was  the  scene  of  Gil- 
bert White's  labors,  that  the  nature  lover  should  go  there. 
The  experience,  too,  will  go  far  toward  explaining  the  mar- 
velous vitality  of  that  little  volume  which  has  made  its  au- 
thor and  his  home  forever  famous.  He  will  find  it  no  anti- 
quated eighteenth  century  dissertation  of  purely  biblio- 
graphic value,  but  a  useful  work  of  reference  containing  in- 
formation for  which  he  will  search  through  other  English 
nature  books  in  vain.  In  short,  Gilbert  White  wrote  not 
only  the  first  but  the  best  book  of  its  class.  Need  one  seek 
better  reasons  for  its  longevity  and  perennial  interest  I 

From  Selborne,  I  went  to  Winchester  for  a  glimpse  of 
Isaac  Walton 's  haunts  in  the  valley  of  the  Itchen.  There  is  a 
delightful  walk  south  of  the  city  along  a  branch  stream 
which  will  lead  one  to  the  Itchen  itself,  flowing  peacefully 
through  broad  meadows  with  hedge-bordered  downs  aris- 
ing in  the  distance.  Disciples  of  the  good  Isaac  were  dili- 
gently casting  the  fly  in  waters  which  evidently  still  repay 
the  fisherman's  wooing;  there  was  always  one  or  more  Sky- 
larks overhead  and  below,  Lapwings,  Stone-chats,  Wagtails, 
Meadow  Pipits  and  Reed  Buntings.  Doubtless  also  there 
were  Sedge  and  Eeed  Warblers,  but  I  did  not  see  them. 

Winchester  brings  one  within  easy  reach  of  the  New  For- 
est, one  of  the  places  which  no  naturalist  visiting  England 
should  fail  to  see.  From  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror, 
the  New  Forest  has  been  a  royal  preserve  and  it  is  to-day 
one  of  the  few  places  in  England  where  the  tourist  may  find 
comparatively  primaeval  conditions.  Birds  which  have  be- 
come rare  or  have  been  extirpated  in  other  parts  of  south- 
ern England,  may  still  be  found  in  favorable  places  in  this 
Government  reservation. 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  403 

I  went  to  Holmesley  and  drove  thence,  through  Burley, 
to  Picket  Post,  lodging  at  an  isolated  tea-house  in  the  midst 
of  the  gorse-covered  moors, — the  home  of  the  Dartford 
Warbler.  Nearby,  was  a  bit  of  the  original  forest  growth, 
which  doubtless  covered  a  large  part  of  the  country  at  the 
time  of  the  Norman  invasion.  Here  are  magnificent  patri- 
archal beeches,  not  one,  but  every  tree  of  exceptional  beauty 
and  dignity.  The  mossy  ground  beneath,  decorated  with  hy 


Beeches  in  the  New  Forest 

acinth,  wood  sorrel,  and  veronica,  was  as  free  from  under- 
growth as  a  lawn,  and  stretched  away  beneath  the  gray 
limbs  and  green  leaves,  into  enchanted  glades  and  aisles, 
from  which  one  would  not  have  been  surprised  to  see  Robin 
Hood  and  his  merry  men  step  forth  at  any  moment.  Never 
have  I  seen  a  more  inviting  woodland. 

One  may  drive  north  through  the  forest  to  Salisbury 
where,  on  the  surrounding  plains,  he  will  not  be  out  of  hear- 


404  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

ing  of  Skylarks  throughout  the  long  English  day. 

From  Salisbury,  1  went  to  Oxford  and  thence  to  Strat- 
ford and  Warwick,  and  in  each  place  the  bird  student  may 
pursue  his  investigations  amid  charming  surroundings.  Of 
the  coincident  historical  and  literary  associations,  it  is  un- 
necessary to  speak. 

At  Oxford,  Addison's  Walk,  in  the  grounds  about  Mag- 
dalene College,  give  the  stranger  access  to  most  attractive 
and  secluded  retreats;  while  at  Warwick  he  is  permitted  a. 
near  view  of  a  castle  which  will  show  him  J  ackdaws,  Kooks, 
Starlings,  and  Wood  Doves  in  the  setting  where  literature 
so  frequently  places  them. 

At  btratf  ord,  he  may  sit  in  the  churchyard  and  see  the 
liooks  at  their  nests  overhead  while  the  Moorhens  disport 
themselves  in  rushes  of  the  bordering  Avon ;  and  if  he  will 
cross  the  river  and  follow  the  north  shore  about  half  a  mile, 
he  will  come  to  a  fringe  of  woodland  on  a  bank  so  steep,  that 
the  tops  of  trees  growing  from  the  shore  below,  will  be  on  a 
level  with  his  head.  From  the  narrow,  picturesque  path- 
way, one  therefore  has  the  upper  branches  within  reach  of 
one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  may  touch  the  lower 
growth,  conditions  which  bring  a  rather  unusual  assemblage 
of  birds  within  easy  range. 

Here,  on  a  rainy  morning  (June  11),  I  saw  in  "one 
look, ' '  a  Nightingale  with  food  for  her  young,  Bullfinch, 
Song  Thrush,  Willow  Wren,  Wren,  White-throat,  Hedge 
Sparrow,  Chaffinch,  Blue-tit,  Long-tail  Tit,  Spotted  Fly- 
catcher, Blackcap,  Blackbird,  and  Chiff-chaff.  Swallows 
House  and  Bank  Martins  and  Swifts  were  constantly  dash- 
ing up  and  down  over  the  river,  and  from  near-by  rolling 
fields  came  the  song  of  the  Skylark,  a  total  of  nineteen  spe- 
cies seen  or  heard  at  virtually  the  same  moment. 

Under  no  circumstances  should  the  bird-lover  leave  Eng- 
land without  a  visit  to  some  point  on  the  coast  or  near-by 
islets  frequented  by  nesting  Murres,  Puffins  and  Razor-bills. 
Doubtless  in  no  part  of  the  world  can  he  so  easily  reach  the 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


405 

3 


m 
^  - 


Bird-egging  on  Bempton  Cliffs 

About  130,000  Murres'  eggs  are  gathered  here  yearly.     A  "dimmer"  may 
be  seen  on  the  face  of  the  cliff. 

haunts  of  these  boreal  water-fowl.  They  may  be  found  in  fa- 
vorable localities,  from  the  Scilly  Islands  to  the  Hebrides, 
but  a  variety  of  circumstances  led  me  to  the  Bempton  Cliffs 
at  Flamborough  Head  in  Yorkshire,  the  Fame  Islands,  off 
the  Northumberland  coast,  and  Bass  Bock,  in  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  and  I  am  assured  that  no  ornithological  pilgrim  will 
go  far  from  the  Mecca  of  his  hope  if  he  follows  this  route. 

At  the  Bempton  Cliffs,  which  may  be  reached  from  Brid- 
lington,  one  may  see  the  men  go  down  the  precipitous  chalk- 
headlands,  from  three  to  four  hundred  feet,  on  a  rope,  to 
gather  Murres '  eggs,  while  their  mates,  three  to  the  gang, 
with  heels  dug  into  oft-used  hollows,  stolidly  lower  or  raise. 


406  ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 

in  response  to  pulls  on  the  signal  line  from  the  unseen 
"dimmer"  below.  This  is  a  long-established  profession 
about  which  hang  many  quaint  usages. 

At  Bempton,  the  tourist,  unless  he  be  possessed  of  suf- 
ficient nerve  to  * '  try  the  ropes, ' '  must  content  himself  with  a 
view  of  the  birds  from  above,  but  at  the  Fames,  if  the  sea 


The  Pinnacles  in  the  Fame  Islands 

The  succeeding  picture  shows  the  Murres  on  the  summit  of  the 
Pinnacles  at  the  right. 

permits,  he  may  land  on  low  islands  populated  with  a  myr- 
iad of  sea-fowl,  among  whose  homes  he  may  walk  at  ease, 
while  a  very  little  caution  will  place  him  on  speaking  terms 
with  Murres,  Puffins,  Arctic  and  Sandwich  Terns,  Kitti- 
wakes,  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls,  Cormorants,  and,  best  of 
all,  Eider  Ducks. 

The  Fames  is  the  most  southern  British  breeding 
station  of  this  widely  read  of  but  little  known  bird  and  I 
count  as  perhaps  the  most  memorable  of  my  ornithological 
experiences  in  England  the  privilege  of  stroking  a  wild 
Eider,  as  she  sat  upon  her  eggs  within  their  half-seen  circlet 
of  down.  She  turned  and  pecked  my  finger  gently,  almost 
caressingly,  I  thought. 


408 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


Lesser  Black-back  Gulls 

The  Fames  will  be  recalled  as  the  home  of  St.  Cuthbert 
and  the  scene  of  Grace  Darling's  heroism  and  a  connecting 
historical  note  is  supplied  by  one  of  the  bird  wardens,  Jack 
Darling,  a  nephew  of  the  light-keeper's  famous  daughter. 

Bass  Rock,  too,  has  its  history  as  a  prison  for  Dissenters 
and  as  the  one  Scottish  stronghold  not  captured  by  the 
Cromwellians,  but  to  the  bird  student  it  is  known  chiefly  as 
the  original  home,  in  scientific  nomenclature  at  any  rate,  of 
the  Gannet  or  Solan  Goose,  which  Linnaeus  named  Sula  bas- 
sana,  under  the  impression  that  this  splendid  bird  inhabited 
only  the  Bass.  Asa  matter  of  fact,  it  is  found  in  only  about 
a  dozen  islets  in  Great  Britain,  and  two  in  America. 

Ten  thousand  Gannets,  it  is  said,  nest  on  the  Bass  to-dav 
and  so  tame  are  they  that  the  visitor  who  does  not  mind 
looking  down  450  feet  of  sheer  cliff,  may  readily  climb 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  409 

among  them,  selecting  such  groups  for  his  camera  as  taste 
dictates.  Not  a  bird  will  refuse  him  a  sitting.  It  is  a  wild 
scene  but  would  be  far  more  impressive  if  it  were  not  so  eas- 
ily reached.  But  the  very  accessibility  which  places  the 
Rock  (by  way  of  North  Berwick  and  Cantey  Bay)  within 
two  hours  of  Edinburgh  commends  it  to  the  hurried  trav- 
eler. At  the  same  time,  one  may  visit  the  ruins  of  Tantallon 


Castle  on  the  adjoining  mainland  and  in  this  shattered  but 
noble  old  stronghold  of  the  Douglasses,  find  again  the  his- 
torical setting  which  adds  so  much  to  the  charm  of  bird 
study  in  England ;  or,  to  speak  more  strictly,  in  Great  Brit- 
ain ;  for  we  have  crossed  the  border  line  into  Scotland  and 
are  now  within  an  hour  or  two  of  a  country  differing  mark- 
edly in  topography  and,  to  a  lesser  degree,  in  bird-life  from 
anything  we  have  seen  to  the  southward. 

I  must  resist,  however,  the  temptation  to  tell  of  Bed 
Grouse,  Black  Cock  and  Ptarmigan,  Wheatears,  Eock 
Thrushes  and  Golden  Plover,  but  no  bird-lover  should  resist 
the  temptation  to  visit  the  haunts  of  these  birds  amid  the 
lochs  and  heather-grown  moors  of  the  Highlands. 


410 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


While  my  very  limited  experience  does  not  warrant  geii 
eralization  in  regard  to  the  attractiveness  and  musical  abil- 
ity of  English  birds  as  compared  with  ours,  there  can  be  no 
question  concerning  their  greater  abundance.  Everywhere 
I  was  impressed  with  the  truth  of  this  observation,  and  I 
cannot  conclude  this  article  without  some  attempt  to  inquire 
into  the  causes  underlying  this  marked  numerical  dif- 
ference. 


A  Sitting  Eider   (Somateria  molissima) 
Note  the  circlet  of  down  about  the  nest 

We  have,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  a  larger  number  of 
species,  and  in  our  northern  states,  birds  are  more  rigidly 
protected  than  they  are  in  England,  where  bird-nesting  is 
universal  and  bird-trapping  locally  countenanced. 

A  variety  of  factors  seem  to  have  operated  in  producing 
the  results  now  so  noticeable  to  an  American.  The  most  fun- 
damental and  far-reaching  in  its  influence  appears  to  lie  in 
the  fact  that  English  birds  are  less  niigratory,  as  a  whole, 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


411 


A  "Watcher"  stroking  an  Eider  on  Her  Xest 


Eider  on  Nest 


412 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


than  ours,  and  are,  consequently,  not  exposed  to  the  dangers 
which  beset  birds  making  extended  journeys  in  part  over 
large  bodies  of  water.  Furthermore,  those  that  remain  in 
England  throughout  the  year  have  not  to  contend  with  the 
severe  winters  which  so  often  bring  disaster  to  our  perman- 
ently resident  birds. 


Bass  Rock  from  the  Mainland 
In  the  foreground  a  flock  of  Eiders;  with  a  male  on  shore  in  breeding  plumage 

The  importance  of  this  suggestion  is  emphasized  when  it 
is  expressed  in  figures.  Thus,  the  list  of  birds  of  regular  oc- 
currence in  Great  Britain,  numbers  about  225,  of  which  no 
less  than  134  are,  as  species  or  individuals,  permanently  res- 
ident ;  while  the  list  of  birds  recorded  from  within  a  radius 
of  50  miles  of  New  York  City,  exclusive  of  " accidental' '  spe- 
cies, is  310,  of  which  only  35  are  permanently  resident. 

It  is  also  of  first  importance  to  observe  that  the  abundant 
British  birds  of  to-day,  the  conspicuous  successes  in  bird- 
life,  are  admirable  illustrations  of  the  rigid  sifting  effects  of 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  413 

conditions  so  severe  that  only  the  fittest  survive.  The  list  of 
birds  which,  as  British,  are  extinct  or  nearly  so,  is  a  large 
one  and  includes  the  Spoonbill,  Avocet,  Bustard,  Kite, 
Marsh  Harrier,  Osprey,  Capercallie  (re-introduced),  Crane, 
Chough  and  other  species. 


Gannets  on  the  Bass 

In  every  instance  these  birds  have  succumbed  to  civiliza- 
tion in  one  or  more  of  its  aggressive  forms,  as  it  has  de- 
stroyed forests,  drained  marshes,  killed  for  sport  or  collect- 
ed for  alleged  scientific  purposes. 

Other  species,  for  example  Hawks,  Jays  and  Magpies, 
supposed  to  be  harmful  to  game-birds  or  their  eggs,  have 
greatly  decreased  or  disappeared  before  the  constant  per- 
secution of  the  game  keeper.  I  saw  but  four  Hawks,  three 


414 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE 


Nesting  Gannets 

Jays  and  two  Magpies  while  in  England,  and  most  of  these 
were  in  the  New  Forest. 

Still  other  species,  like  the  Bullfinch  and  Goldfinch,  have 
diminished  through  the  excessive  demonstration  of  that 
abortive  love  of  birds  which  condemns  them  to  captivity 
and,  usually,  early  death. 

On  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  acts  which  have  brought 
destruction  to  the  species  mentioned  have  created  an  excep- 
tionally favorable  environment  for  birds  like  the  House 
Sparrow,  Starling,  Song  Thrush,  Blackbird,  and  Skylark, 
which,  through  man's  agency,  find  some  of  their  natural  ene- 
mies removed,  their  supply  of  food  increased,  and  their 
available  breeding  area  widened. 

In  America,  virtually  all  our  most  abundant,  widely  dis- 
tributed species,  winter  in  the  United  States  and  hence  are 
not  exposed  to  those  destructive  agencies  which  beset  birds 
migrating  over  seas.  However,  leaving  out  of  consideration 


ENGLISH  BIRD-LIFE  415 

this  cause  of  high  mortality  and  that  occasioned  by  winter 
storms,  environmental  conditions  in  America  are  too  unset- 
tled or  at  best  are  too  recently  settled  for  us  to  have  witness- 
ed that  essentially  final  adjustment  between  the  bird  and  the 
sum  total  of  its  surroundings,  such  as  we  observe  in  Eng- 
land. 

Our  Robin,  or  Migratory  Thrush,  as  our  English  cousin*- 
call  it,  appears,  however,  to  have  established  satisfactory 
relations  with  the  world  as  it  finds  it  and  is  as  preeminently 
a  success  in  bird-life  as  its  English  representative,  the  Song 
Thrush. 

Let  us  hope  that  with  other  species,  also,  we  may  be  able 
so  to  control  the  selective  and  determining  processes  which 
are  now  shaping  the  America  of  succeeding  generations, 
that  those  who  come  after  us  will  lose  no  part  of  their  rich 
heritage  in  bird-life. 


Young  Flamingo 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


ARIZONA,   Group     showing     cactus 

desert  of,  243. 

Auklet,  Cassin's,  in  Farallones,  284. 
Avocet  in  Los  Banos  group,  291. 

BASS  ROCK,    from  mainland,  412. 

Gannets  on,  413,  414. 
Bates'  Hole,  Eagle's  nest  in,  240. 

Our  outfit  in,  228,  238. 
Beebe,   C.    William,    at    Fireplace, 

40. 
Bent,   A.   C.,    on    "Pearl,"    number 

one  from  right,  137. 
Blackbird,    Yellow-headed,    feeding 

young,  331. 
Blind,  among  Egrets,  127. 

among  Pelicans,  87. 

among  Water  Turkeys,  115. 

and  Blue  Jay's  nest,  7. 

and  Flamingos,  174,  180. 

in  Man-o'-War  Bird  colony,  218. 
Booby  and  nest,  213. 

colony,  210. 

family,  211,  215. 

in  flight,  216. 

picks  up  sticks,  212. 

Young    of,    210,    211,    213,    214, 

215. 

Burroughs,  John,    examining  Hum- 
mer's nest,  23. 

CACTUS,  Barrel.near  Santa  Catalina 
Mts.,  250. 
Giant,  and  Santa  Catalina  Mts., 

226. 
California,   Group   of  birds  at   Los 

Banos,  291. 

Camp    at    Shoal    Lake,    Manitoba, 
316. 

in  Florida,  114. 
in  Ptarmigan  Pass,  358. 
in  Sierras,  309. 
near  Flamingos,  173. 
on  Cay  Verde,  206. 
on  Pelican  Reef,  374. 
Cay  Verde,  Camp  on,  206. 


"dimmer"  on  Bempton  Cliffs,  405. 
Condor,  Nest-site  of,  on  Piru  Creek, 

Calif.,  260. 

Coot,  Eggs,  nest,  and  young  of,  332. 
Cormorant,  Brandt's,    at  Point  Lo- 
bos,  Calif.,  272. 

gathering  nest  material,  271. 
Portrait  of,  273. 
Telephoto  of,  281. 
Cormorant,       Double  crested,       on 
Shoal  Lake,  314. 
Young  of,  335. 
Cormorant,  Farallone,  on  Klamath 

Lake,  298,  302. 
Curlew  aboard  ship,  393. 
Curlew,  Long-billed,  Young  of,  342. 
Cuthbert    Rookery,    Birds    in,     142, 
143,  147. 

Route  to,  139. 
Cypress,  Flooded,  127. 

DIPPER  near  Glacier,  B.  C.,  353. 

Nest  of,  354. 

Dove,  Mourning,  in    cactus    desert 
group,  243. 

on  nest  in  cactus,  248. 
Dove,     Scaled,     in     cactus     desert 

group,  243. 

Duck,  Fulvous  Tree,  in  Los  Banofc 
group,  291. 

EAGLE,  Golden,  Nest-site  of,  240. 
Egret,     American,     after     feeding, 
133. 

feeding  young,  132. 

flying,  128,  129. 

Nesting-sites  of,  127. 

perching,  130,  131. 

Young  of,  78,  132,  133. 
Egret,   Snowy,  in    Cuthbert    Rook- 
ery, 142. 
Eider  in  Fame  Islands,  410. 

near  Bass  Rock,  412. 

stroking  on  nest,  411. 
England,   Beeches   in   New   Forest, 
403. 


4-18 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


England, 

Bempton  Cliffs,  Egging  on,  405. 
Cam  at  Ditton  Corner,  396. 
Fame    Islands,    Pinnacles     in, 

406,  407. 
Selborne,   View    from    Hanger, 

390. 

Estrella,  The,  aground,  162. 
Crew  of,  158. 

FARALLONES,  Landing-place  in,  275 
Finch,     House,     in     cactus     desert 

group,  243. 

Fireplace,  Signal  at,  40. 
Flamingo,  alarmed,  177. 

and  young,  150. 

asleep,  175. 

Blind  among,  174,  180. 

brooding,  185. 

Deserted  city  of,  160,  172. 

Eggs  of,  172. 

feeding  young,  185. 

flying,  171,  176. 

on  nests,  178,  182. 

Painting  of,  158. 

walking,  181. 

Young,   150,  183,   184,  185,  186, 

187,  188,  189. 
Flicker  leaving  nest,  27. 
Forest  in  Glen  Alpine,  Calif.,  307. 

on  Gardiner's  Island,  34. 
Fuertes,     L.    A.,     and     Ptarmigan, 
364. 

and  young  Geese,  344. 

in    camp    at    Ptarmigan    Pass, 
358. 

in  camp  at  Silver  Creek,  309. 

on  "Pearl",  number  two   from 
left,  137. 

on    trail    to    Ptarmigan    Pass, 
356. 

painting  Flamingo,  158. 

GANNETS  on  Bass  Rock,  413,  414. 
Gloria,  The,  163. 

Goose,    Wild,    on    Klamath    Lake, 
296. 

Young  of,  344. 
Grackle,  Nest  of,   in   Fish   Hawk's 

nest,  52. 
Group,  Cactus  desert,  243. 

of  Brown  Pelicans,  110. 

of  Cobb's  Island  birds,  62. 


Group,  of  Los  Banos  birds,  291. 

of  Prairie  Hens,  233. 
Guillemots  in  Farallones,  282. 
Gull,    California,    in    Saskatchewan, 

345,  347. 

Gull,  Laughing,  Egg  of,  75. 
on  nest,  73,  74. 
Young  of,  75. 
Gull,   Lesser  Black-back,   in   Fame 

Islands,  408. 

Gull,  Ring-billed,  in  Saskatchewan, 
345,  347. 
Young  of,  348. 

on  Klamath  Lake,  300. 
Gull,  Western,     on  nest     in  Faral- 
lones,  28'0. 

on  wing  in  Farallones,  279. 

HAWK,  FISH,   approaching  nest,  56. 
feeding  young,  53. 
leaving  nest,  57. 
Nests  of,  50,  58. 
Young,  53,  54,  55,  58,  61. 
Heron,       Black  -  crowned       Night, 

Young  of,  334. 

Heron,     Florida     Great    Blue,     ap- 
proaching nest,  120. 
feeding  young,  121. 
Young  of,  120,  121. 
Heron,  Little  Blue,  on  nest,  125. 
Heron,  Louisiana,  on  nest,  126. 

posing,  143. 

Heron,   Great  Blue,  at  Los   Banos, 
Calif.,  293. 

Young  of,   on    Klamath    Lake, 

303. 
Heron,    Yellow-crowned    Night,    in 

Bahamas,  209. 

Hummingbird,      Ruby-throated,     at 
nest,  19. 

before  flower,  26. 
brooding,  24. 
feeding  young,  25. 

JAX",  BLUE,  after  feeding  young,  2. 
alarmed  by  Owl,  11. 
inspecting  Owl,  10. 
Young,  calling,  13. 
Young,  nesting,  12. 

KILLDEER  in  Los  Banos  Groups,  291. 
Kittiwake  in  Fame  Islands,  407. 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


419 


LAKE,  BONNET,  in  Florida,  115. 
Lloyd,    P.    E.,    and    barrel    cactus, 

250. 

MACDouGAL,  D.  T.,  driving,  226. 
Mallard  in  Los  Banos  group,  291. 
Man-o'-War  Bird,  Colony  of,  218. 

Female  with  young,  220. 

Young  of,  218,  219,  220. 
Meadowlark,  alert,  17. 

inspecting  nest,  18. 
Merriam,   C.  Hart,   in  Glen  Alpine 

forest,  306. 
Murres  in  cave  in  Farallones,  277. 

in  Fame  Islands,  407. 

Telephoto     of,     in     Farallones, 


NIGHTHAWK,  and  young,  29. 

feigning  lame,  30. 

perching,  31,  32. 

Nighthawk,   Texas,   in    cactus   des- 
ert group,  243. 
Noddy,  flying,  196. 

on  nest,   194. 

on  rocks,  193. 

OUTFIT,  OUR,    leaving  Potrero.Ven- 

tura  Co.,  Calif.,  262. 
Owl,    Burrowing,     at     Los     Banos, 

Calif.,  287. 

"PEARL,"  Crew  of,  137. 
Pelican,  Brown,  Breeding  and  non- 
breeding  plumage  of,   compared, 
89. 

Colony  of,  87. 

feeding,    Young,     97,    99,     101, 

104. 

flying,  87,  91,  105,  106. 
incubating,  87,  93. 
looking  for  young,   109. 
Nest-relief  of,  95. 
preening,  110. 
yawning,  107,  338. 
Young,  after  feeding,   100,  103, 

104. 

Young  of,  97,  104,  338. 
Pelican   Island,   General   views,   87, 
91,  110. 

Group  of,  110. 


Pelican,  White,  feeding  young,  383. 

in      Saskatchewan,      312,     3G9, 
383,  385,  387. 

Nest  and  eggs  of,  375. 

on  Klanmth  Lake,  381. 

on  Pyramid  Lake,  377. 

scratching,  384. 

soaring,  369. 

taking  flight,  385. 
Peter,  guide,  166. 
Phainopepla  in  cactus  desert  group. 

243. 
Phalarope  at  Monterey,   268. 

feeding,   269. 

in  search  of  feeding-place,  270. 
Pheasant,   English,  on   nest,  43. 
Phoabe,  Nesting-sites  of,  21. 

on  nest,  22. 
Physalia,  The,  201. 
Pipit,  American,  on  nest,  359. 
Prairie  Hen,  Group  of,  233. 
Ptarmigan,  White-tailed,    in    Cana- 
dian  Rockies,   360-366. 

on  nest,  363-365. 

walking  in  water,  362. 
Puffin  in  Fame  Islands,  409. 
Puflin,  Tufted,  in  Farallones,  283. 

QUAIL,  GAMBEL'S,  in  cactus  desert 

group,  243. 
Quail,     Scaled,     in     cactus     desert 

group,  243. 

REDWOODS  in     Armstrong     Grove, 

Sonoma  Co.,  Calif.,  252. 
Roadrunner  in  cactus  desert  group, 

243. 

SANDPIPER,  BARTRAM'S,    on  nest, 

341, 
Selborne,   View  of,    from    Hanger, 

390. 

Seton,    Ernest    Thompson,    attack- 
ed by  Black  Tern,  326,  327. 

in  camp  at  Shoal  Lake,  316. 
Shearwater,      Audubon's,      leaving 
nest,  199. 

Young  of,  198. 

Skimmer,  Black,  Eggs  of,  70,  71. 
flying,  62,  65,  67. 
on  nest,  62,  68,  69,  76. 
Young  of,  69,  70,  71. 


420 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Spoonbill,  Roseate,  flying,  148. 

perching,  147. 

Stilt,  Black-necked,  in    Los    Banos 
group,  291. 

on  nest,  289. 

Young  of,  290. 

TANAGER,  SCARLET,  at  nest,  28. 
Teal,  Blue-wing,  Nest  of,  as  cover- 
ed by  bird,  322. 

the  cover  raised,  323. 
Teal,     Cinnamon,     in     Los     Banos 

group,  291. 

Tern,  Black,  attacking,  326,  327. 
brooding,  328. 
in  Los  Banos  group,  291. 
incubating,  324. 
on  Shoal  Lake,  Man.,  349. 
Young  of,  329. 
Tern,   Caspian,   on   Klamath   Lake, 

301,  302. 

Tern,  Common,    in    Cobb's    Island 
group,  62. 

on  Gardiner's  Island,  44,  45. 
Tern,  Gull-billed,  on  nest,  72. 
Tern,     Least,     in     Cobb's     Island 
group,  62. 


Tern,  Sooty,  flying,  154,  197. 

sitting,  195. 

Thrasher,  Brown,  on  nest,  4. 
Thrasher,  Palmer's,  at  nest,  247. 

near  nest,  246. 

Trail  to  Ptarmigan  Pass,  356. 
Turkey,  Water,  and  nest,  117. 

posing,  122. 

VIREO,  WARBLING,  incubating,  319. 

singing  on  nest,  319. 
Vulture,  Black,  eating  young  Peli- 
can, 110. 

on  burro,  264. 
Vulture,  Turkey,  roosting,  266. 

WIDMANN,  OTTO,  at  Hesperia.Calif., 

257. 
Wren,     Cactus,     in    cactus     desert 

group,  243. 
Wren,   Long-billed   Marsh,  at  nest, 

333. 
Wren,  Rock,  in  Farallones,  285. 

YUCCA,  Tree,    at    Hesperia,    Calif., 
257. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


AGUA  BLANCA,  creek,  261. 

Aigrettes,  Price  of,  136. 

Alpine  spring  in  Canadian  Rockies, 

356. 

Anahao  Island,  Pelicans  on,  378. 
Andros  Island,  Flamingos  on,   158, 
170. 

Uncharted  bight  through,  170. 
Voyage  to,  157. 
Anhinga,  Habits  of,  114. 
Antilles,     Greater,     Preserving    in- 
fluences of,  37. 
Ardea     wuerdemanni     nesting     on 

Clive  Key,  137. 

Arizona,   Tucson,  Birds   seen  near, 
243. 

Yuma,  257. 

Atmosphere,  Dryness     of,  in     Ari- 
zona, 237. 

Audubon   Societies,   National  Asso- 
ciation of,  84,  134. 
Auk,  Great,  in  Florida,  81. 
Auklet,  Cassin's,  in  Farallones,  282. 

Notes  of,  283. 
Australia,  Preserving  influences  of, 

37. 
Avocet,  Actions  of,  289. 

in  San  Joaquin  Valley,  289. 
Young  of,  290. 

BAHAMA  BANKS,  Character  of,  201. 

Lack  of  life  on,  202. 
Bahama  bird-life,  151-224. 
Bahamas,  Birds  of,  in  Florida,  79. 

Evolution  in,  32. 

Extent  of,  152. 

Formation  of,  151. 
Basin,  Great,  in  California,  255. 
Bass  Rock  visited,  408. 
Bates'  Hole,  Wyo.  visited,  235,  239. 
Bay  Cedar  in  Bahamas,  152. 
Baynton's  ranch  on  Big  Stick  Lake, 

342. 

Bempton     Cliffs,     England,     Bird- 
egging  on,  405. 


Bent,  A.  C.,  on  birds  of  Saskatch- 
ewan, 339,  348. 
on  Cuthbert  Rookery,  136. 
Trip  with,  136. 

Beswick,  Birds  abundant  at,  294. 
Bill  of  Skimmer,  72,  74. 
Bird  islands  of  Atlantic  coast,   35. 
Bird-life,   Adjustment   of,   to   envir- 
onment, 415. 

affected  by  irrigation,  286,  293. 
of  England  and  America  com- 
pared, 396,   398,  399,   410-415. 
of  Shoal  Lake,  Man.,  and   Ma- 
ple Creek,   Sask.,   compared, 
338-339. 

Bird-nesting,  Pleasures  of,  20,  21. 
Birds,  Attitude  of,  toward  blind,  55. 
English,  shyer  than  American, 

398. 

Decrease  of,  38. 
Destruction  of,  81,  82,  304. 
Bird    student,    Local    opportunities 

of,  3,  333. 

Blackbird,   English,   Abundance   of, 
414. 

Song  of,  397. 

Blackbird,    Yellow-headed,   Nesting 
habits  of,  333. 
Song  of,  318. 
Blackcap,  Song  of,  401. 
Blake,   Sir   Henry,   Studies  of   Fla- 
mingo by,  156. 
Blind,  and  Blue  Jays,  7. 

and  Brown  Pelicans,  90. 
and  Caspian  Terns,  301. 
and   Egrets,  132. 
and  Fish  Hawks,  55. 
and   Flamingos,  174,  178,  184. 
and   Florida  Great    Blue    Her- 
ons, 119. 

and  Grackle,  320. 
and  Meadowlark,  16. 
and  Prairie  Hens,  232. 


422 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


Blind  and  Ring-billed  and  California 

Gulls,  299. 
and  Skimmers,  69. 
and  Water  Turkeys,  116. 
and  White  Pelicans,  380,  386. 
in  Cuthbert  Rookery,  143. 
Meadowlark  sings  from,  325. 
Bobolink  in  Wyoming,  241. 
Bohlman,  H.  T.    See  Finley,  W.  L. 
Bonhote,  J.   Lewis,     in     Bahamas, 

156. 

"Bonnets"  on  Florida  Lakes,   115. 
Booby,  Area  of  home-site  of,  213. 
Daily  routine  of,  211. 
Excitement  of,  when  approach- 
ed on  nest,  212. 
in  Bahamas,  200-224. 
in  Florida,  210. 
laying    two    eggs    but    having 

only  one  young,  214,  215. 
Nest  of,  214. 
resents  trespass,  213. 
robbed     by     Man-o'-War     Bird, 

212. 

Sleeping  habits  of,  207. 
tame  near  nest,  shy  away  from 

it,  212. 

Young  of,  214,  216. 
Bradley,  Guy,  warden  of   Cuthbert 

Rookery,  136. 
Bruner,     Lawrence,     Assisted     by, 

227. 

Bryant,    Henry,   on    Bahama   birds, 
208. 

Researches  of,  83. 
Bufflehead,    flightless    when    molt- 
ing, 296. 

Bullfinch,  in  England,  399. 
Bunting,  Lark,  Song  of,  340. 
Burroughs,  John,  Bird-nesting  with, 
20, 

CACTUS,    Barrel,  248. 

desert  bird-life,  242. 

Giant,    home  of  birds    in   Ari- 
zona, 244. 
California,  Bird  studies  in,  253. 

Climates  of,  253,  254,  256. 

Differentiation  of  birds  in,  254. 

Farallones,  Birds  seen  in,  274. 

Hesperia,   Morning   at,    258. 

Highest  mountains  in,  253. 

Length  of,  253. 


California,  Los    Banos,    Birds  seen 
at,  286. 

Lower    Klamath    Lake,      Birds 

seen  on,  294. 
Lowest  altitude  in,  253. 
Monterey,  Bird  studies  at,  267, 

273. 

Piru,  Birds  seen  at,  259-266. 
Sierras,  Birds  seen  in,  305. 
Topography  of,  253-256. 
Callichelidon    cyaneoviridis    in    Ba- 
hamas, 153. 
Cambridge,  England,  Birds  seen  at 

395. 

Camera.  Value  of,  in  bird  study,  5. 
Camp  at  Shoal  Lake,  316,  318. 
destroyed  by  fire,  122. 
in  Pima  Canon,  248. 
in  Ptarmigan  Pass,  356. 
near  Flamingos,  170. 
near  seven   mile   slough,  114. 
on  Cay  Verde,  206. 
on  Silver  Creek,  310. 
Canada,  Western,  Bird-life  of,   313. 
Canadian     Government,      Responsi- 
bility of,  as  a  bird  protector,  387. 
Canadian  Rockies,  Bird-life  in,  3&0. 
Candle-bush  in  Arizona,  244. 
Catbird,  Singing,  in  Bahamas,  202. 
Cat  Cay,  Birds  seen  on,  224. 
Cats,    Absence     of,     on     Gardiner's 
Island,  39. 

on  Cobb's  Island,   74. 
Cay  Verde,  Birds  of,  205,  224. 

Description  of,  207. 
Cereus  giganteus  in  Arizona,  244. 
Cerithium,  fcod    of    Flamingo,  155, 

189. 

Chaffinch,  Song  of,  399. 
Chapman,  Abel,  Studies  of  Flamin- 
go by,  156. 
Chickadee,     Mountain,    nesting    at 

Lake  Tahoe,  305. 

Chipmunk,  Absence  of,    on    Gardi- 
ner's Island,  39. 
Climatic    changes,    Suddenness    of, 

in  California,  286. 
Coast  Range  in  California,  255. 
Cobb's  Island,  Bird-life  of,  63. 
Colonial  birds,  Location  of  nest  of. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


423 


Coloration    contradictory    in  Long- 
spurs  and  Shore  Lark,  340. 
of  young  Skimmer,  68. 
protective,  30,  235,  358. 
Condor,  California,  Appearance  of, 
on  the  wing,  263. 
Nest  sites  of,  261. 
Seven,  seen  at  once,  263. 
Wariness  of,  264,  265. 
Connecticut,    Stevenson,    Study    of 

Nighthawk  at,  29. 
Coot  in  San  Joaquin  Valley,  292. 
impaled  on  barbed  wire,  292. 
Nest-site  of,  292. 
Cormorant,   Baird's,   in   Farallones, 

281. 

Cormorant,  Brandt's,  in  Farallones, 
281. 

nesting  at  Monterey,  272. 
Cormorants,      Double-crested,       on 

Shoal  Lake,  335. 
Cormorant,  Farallone,  on   Klamath 

Lake,  299,  304. 
Coyote  in  Arizona,  249. 

in   California,  260. 
Cox,  Walter,  Background  by,  62. 
Crane,  Sandhill,  Former  abundance 
of,  in  New  England,  38. 

Range  of,  80. 
Creeper,  Honey,  in  Bahamas,  152. 

nesting  in  Bahamas,  202. 
Creosote  bush  in  Arizona,  248. 

in  California,  256. 
Crow,  Clarke's,  at  Monterey,  268. 
Crow,    Fish,    devouring    eggs,    118, 

145. 

Crow,  Florida,  devouring  eggs,  145. 
Crow,    Robbery    by,    not    resented, 
145. 

roosting   on   Gardiner's   Island, 

60. 

Cuckoo,  Call  of,  398. 
Curlew  aboard  ship,   392. 
Cypress  forest,  Beauty  of,  126.    * 
nesting-site  of  Herons,  127. 

DAHLGREN,B.  E.,  Dr.,  in  Bahamas, 

169. 

Day,  Length  of,  in  Canada,  321. 
Denslow,  H.  C.,  Birds  mounted  by, 

62,  233,  244. 
Desert.  Mohave.  Morning  in,  258. 


Dipper,  Nesting  habits  of,  in  Cana- 
dian Rockies,  353. 

Dove,  Ground,  in  Bahamas,  152. 

Dove,  Turtle,  Notes  of,  400. 

Dove,    White-winged,   Notes   of,   in 
Arizona,  244,  248,  249. 

Duck,  Black,  nesting  on  Gardiner's 
Island,  36,  46. 

Duck,  Fulvous    Tree,  in    San    Joa- 
quin Valley,  292. 
Notes  of,  292. 
Pose  of,  292. 
Range  of,  292. 

Duck,  Harlequin,  at  Monterey,  268. 

Duck,  Ruddy,  Actions  of,  346. 

EAGLE,       Bald,  Nesting  in  Man-o'- 

War  Key,  137. 
Eagle,    Golden,    Story    of    nest    of, 

236. 

Egg-birds  in  Bahamas,  152,  192. 
Egg-shell  removed  by  Skimmer,  71. 
Eggs,  Murre's,  as  food,  276,  277. 
Eggs,   Smaller  number  of,  laid   by 

southern  birds,  198. 
Egret,  American,  Actions  of  young 
of,  134. 

Destruction  of,  124. 
Feeding  young  of,  134. 
in  Cuthbert  Rookery,   141. 
Nesting  habits  of,  123-134. 
Nests  of,  142,  145. 
Notes  of,  133,  134. 
Rookery  flight  of,  124. 
Shyness  of,  146. 
Egret,  "Little  White",  formerly  on 

Pelican  Island,  83. 
Egret,  "Peale's",  formerly  on  Peli- 
can Island,  83. 

Egret,  Reddish,  in  Bahamas,  169. 
in  Snake  Bight,  Florida,  139. 
Egret,  Rufous,  formerly  on  Pelican 

Island,  83. 
Egret,  Snowy,  in  Cuthbert  Rookery, 

135,  141. 
less  shy    than    American    Egret, 

146. 

Eider,    nesting    in    Fame    Islands. 
406. 

United  States  colony  of,  3€. 
England,  Bird-life  of,  391-415. 
Faunal  Affinities  of,  393. 


424 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


English  birds,  Interest  in,  391. 

Landscape  impressions  of,  393. 

Environment,   Direct  action   of,  on 
birds'  colors,  257. 
mold  for  habits,  37. 

Equilibrium    in     flight    maintained 
automatically,  197. 

"Estrella,"  The,  Cruise  in,  158-162. 

Evaporation,    Rapidity    of,    in    Ari- 
zona, 237. 

Evolution  through  insular  environ- 
ment, 37. 

FARALLONES,  Birds  of,  274. 

History  of,  274. 

Picturesqueness  of,  274,  275. 

Possibilities   of   bird    study   in, 

284. 
Fame   Islands,    England,    Birds   of, 

406-408. 

Figgins,  J.  D.,  on  Western  trip,  227. 
Finch,    Rosy     Snow,     in     Canadian 

Rockies,   357,   361. 
Finch,  Seaside,  on  Cobb's  Island.  63. 
Finch,  Snow,  descending  below  tim- 
berline  in  summer,  357. 

Distribution  of,   357. 
Finley,    W.    L.,    Researches   of,   on 
Klamath   Lake,   294. 

Studies    of    California     Condor 

by,  265. 

Fireplace,  Signal  at,  39. 
Fisher,  Walter  K.,  on  birds  of  Lay- 
san,  216. 

See  Price,  W.  W. 
Flamingo,  Appearance  of,  170. 

City  of,  deserted,  158,  159. 

Colony  of.  Arrival  at,  170. 

Comparative  size  of,  155. 

Destruction  of,  191. 

Egg  of,  173. 

Feeding  habits  of,  190. 

First  one  killed,  157. 

Flight  of,  181. 

Food    of,   155. 

Former    distribution   of,    155. 

in  Bahamas,  154-191. 

incubating,  179,  180. 

Law  protecting,  191. 

Nest  building  of.  159,  179. 

Nests  of.  159.  179,  191. 

Notes   of,   170. 

recognizing  nest,  175. 


Flamingo,  Return   of,    to    rookery, 
178,  179. 
Rookery  of,  destroyed  by  rain, 

168. 

Search  for,  163. 
Shyness  of,  159. 
straddling  nest,  Myth  of,  156. 
Young    of,  Appearance    of,    at 
birth.  185. 

eating  egg-shell,  189. 
Feeding  of,  187. 
Growth  of  bill  of,  189. 
Return  to  nest  by,  186. 
Flicker,  Manner  of  leaving  nest  of, 

27. 

Flight  of  Terns,  197. 
Flocking  impulse,  88. 
Florida.  Bird-life  of,  79. 

Defiance  of  bird  law  in,  82. 
Destruction  of  birds  in,  81,  82 
Florida,  Flamingo,  135. 
Fort   Capron,   113. 
Mecca  for  ornithologists.  79. 
Ormond',  81. 
Pelican  Island,   36,  83. 
St.  John's  River.  Boobies  seen 

at  mouth  of,  210. 
St.  Lucie,  113. 
Flycatcher,     Olive-sided,      Call    of. 

305. 

Forest,    Eastern    extension    of,    in 
western  Nebraska,  229. 
Growth  in   New.   403. 
in  California,  253,  256,  267. 
in  Wyoming,  239. 
Westward      extension     of,     in 

eastern  Nebraska,  229. 
Fox,     Absence    of,     on    Gardiner's 

Island,  39. 

Fuertes,  Louis,  At    Pyramid    Lake 
with,  376. 

discovers   nests    of    Pipit    and 

Ptarmigan,  364. 
In  Bahamas  with,  156. 
In  Saskatchewan  with,  338. 
In  Sierras  with,  310. 
on  trip  to  Los  Banos,  286. 
Trip  with,  to   Cuthbert    Rook- 
ery, 136. 

GADWALL,  Mating  flight  of,  346. 
Gannet,  American  colonies  of,  36. 
on  Bass  Rock,  408. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


425 


Gardiner's   Island,   Bird-life  of,   38. 
Glacial  Period,  Influence  of,  on  dis- 
tribution of  birds,  81,  357,  368. 
"Gloria,"   The,    Cruise  in,   164. 
Goldfinch,   European,    Trapping   of, 

in  England,  399. 
Goldfinch  in  California,  258. 
Goose,  Wild,  flightless  when  molt- 
ing, 296. 

Young  of,  domesticated,  343. 
Grackle,  Bronzed,  Method  of  feed- 
ing young  of,  320. 

nesting  on  ground,  320. 
Grebe,  Eared,  Probable  call  of,  346. 
Grebe,    Holboell's,    covering    eggs, 

329. 
Grebe-hunter    on      Klamath    Lake, 

302-304. 

Grebe,  Pied-billed,  Call  of,  321-331. 
Grebe,  Western,  Actions  of  young 
of,  331. 

Appearance  of,  330. 
Call  of,  321. 
Destruction    of,    for    milliners, 

302,  303. 

Feather-eating  habits  of,  332. 
Mating  habits  of,  330. 
on  Klamath  Lake,  302. 
Shyness  of,  349. 
Gregariousness,     Influence     of,    on 

nest  location,  35. 
Grey- Wilson,  Sir  William,  Governor 

of  Bahamas,  Courtesy  of,  200. 
Grosbeak,  Evening,  in  Sierras,  310. 
Grosbeak,  Pine,  in  Sierras,  310. 
Group  of  Cactus  desert  birds,  243, 

249,  250. 
Groups,   Story    of    three    western, 

227. 

Grouse,  Blue,  in  the  Sierras,  308. 
Grouse,  Sharp-tail,  at  Halsey,  Neb., 

230. 

Guano  deposit  in  Bahamas,  208. 
Guillemots  in  Farallones,  281. 
Gull,   California,   in   Saskatchewan, 
344. 

on  Klamath  Lake,  299. 
Gull,  Franklin's,  feeding  on  grass- 
hoppers, 320. 
Flight  of,  346. 
following  plow,  320. 
Gull,  Herring,  on  Gardiner's  Island 
in  summer,  46. 


Gull,  Laughing,  on    Cobb's    Island, 

63,  75. 

Young  of,  75. 

Gull,  Ring-billed,  in  Saskatchewan, 
344. 

on  Klamath  Lake,  299. 
Gull,  Western,  eating  eggs,  278-280. 

in  Farallones,  278-281. 
Gulls,  Calls  of,  299,  345. 
Gunn,  Donald,  at  Shoal  Lake,  317. 

HABITS, the  result  of  environment, 

37. 

Haigh,  Mr.,  of  Cat  Cay,  223. 
Hawk,  Duck,  on  Cay  Verde,  209. 
Hawk,  Fish,  attacking  Herons,  47. 
Attitude  of,  toward  blind,  58. 
Behavior  of  young  of,  53,  54. 
Date  of  arrival  and  departure 
of,  on  Gardiner's  Island,  48. 
Date  of  hatching  of,  52. 
Date  of  laying  of,  52. 
defending  nest,  52. 
Food  of  young  of,  53. 
Notes  of,  58,  59. 
Number  of,  on    Gardiner's  Isl- 
and, 47. 

repairing  nest,  48. 
Return  of,  to  same  nest,  48.  52. 
Time  in  nest  of  young  of,  52. 
Variations   in   nest-site   of,   48, 

49,  50. 
Hawks  absent  during  summer  from 

Gardiner's  Island,  39. 
Hen,  Heath,  on  Martha's  Vineyard, 

36. 

Hen,  Prairie,  at  Halsey,  Neb.,  231. 
are     females      present      when 

males  "boom"?  235. 
fighting,   234. 
Notes  of,  232. 
protectively  colored,   235. 
Sexual  display  by,  234. 
Hen,  Sage,  in  Wyoming,  241. 
Heron,  Black-crowned  Night,  jump- 
ing into  water,  295. 
nesting  in  reeds,  334. 
on  Gardiner's  Island,  45. 
Heron,   Florida    Great    Blue,  Food 
call  of  young  of,  116. 
Habits  of,  114. 

Manner  of  feeding    young    of, 
122. 


426 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


Heron,    Great    Blue,     formerly    on 
Pelican  Island,  83. 

nesting  in  cypress,  127. 
nesting  in  tules,  298. 
Tameness  of,  at   Los  Banos,  293. 
Heron,    Great     White,     in     Florida 

Keys,  138. 

Heron,     Little    Blue,    in     Cuthbert 
Rookery,  135,  141. 
nesting  in  cypress  swamp,  129. 
Notes  of,  132. 

Heron,  Louisiana,  in  Bahamas,  109. 
in  Cuthbert  Rookery,  135,  141, 

144. 

nesting  in  buttonwood,  113. 
nesting  in  cypress  swamp,  129. 
nesting  in   mangroves,   144. 
Notes  of,   144. 

Heron,  Nesting-sites  of,  119. 
Notes  of  young  of,  122. 
Young  of,  Actions  of,  119. 
Heron,   Yellow-crowned     Night,     in 
Bahamas,  202. 

nesting  in  cypresses,  128. 
Herrick,   F.  H.,  on  the  feeding   of 

young  birds,  320. 
Highlands,  Attractions  of,  for  bird 

students,  409. 

Hittell,  C.  J.,  at  Bates'  Hole,  239. 
at  Klamath  Lake,  295. 
at  Piru,  261. 
Background  by,  291. 
Horsfall,   Bruce,    Backgrounds    by, 
111,  233,  244. 

on  western  trip,  227. 
Hummingbird,    Ruby-throated,     Ac- 
tions of,  at  nest,  25. 
feeding  at  flower,  26. 
feeding  young,  25. 
Nest  of,  25. 
Photographing,  in  flight,  26. 

IBIS,  White,   formerly    on    Pelican 
Island,  83. 

in  Cuthbert  Rookery,  135,  141, 

146. 

Ibis,     White-faced      Glossy,     Evolu- 
tions of,  293. 

in  San  Joaquin  Valley,  292. 
Notes  of,  292. 

Ice    Age,    Influence    of,    oil    Florida 
bird-life,  81. 


Incubation  habits,    of  Brown   Peli- 
can, 95,  96. 

of  Skimmer,  71. 

Ingraham,   D.   P.,  collecting  in   Ba- 
hamas, 208. 

Irrigation    in    San   Joaquin   Valley, 
Calif.,  286. 

Island,   Necessity   of,   for  Pelicans, 
371. 

Island-life,  Study  of,  35,  151. 

JAY, BLUE,      Actions  of,  toward  a 
mounted  Blue  Jay,  8. 

toward    a    mounted     Screech 

Owl,   10-14. 
Home-life  of,  7. 
Mental  development  of,  3. 
Nest  of,  7. 

Notes,  Significance  of,  10,  11. 
Parental  control  of  young  of,  8. 
quiet  near  nest,  6. 
Young,  Actions  of,  8,  14. 
Jay,  Florida,  Origin  of,  80. 
Job,   H.   K.,  on   Cuthbert   Rookery, 
136. 

on  Saskatchewan  birds,  349. 
"  Jumby  "  in  Bahamas,  163. 

KEYS, FLORIDA, Voyage  among,  138 
Klamath  Falls,  Visit  to,  295. 
Klamath  Lake,  Beauty  of,  296. 

Birds  of,  294-304. 

to  be  drained,  380. 

Pelicans  on,  380. 
Knob  on  bill  of  White  Pelican,  376, 

382. 

Kroegel,    Warden,    of    Pelican    Isl- 
and, 86,  95. 

LABORATORY,Desert  Botanical,  243. 

Lagopus  leucurus,  3. 

in  Canadian   Rockies,  357. 

Lameness,  Feigning  of,  31,  32. 

Lang,  H.,  Birds  mounted  by,  111. 

Leucosticte    tephrocotis    in    Cana- 
dian Rockies,  357. 

Lilford,  Lord,  Studies  of  Flamingo 
by,  156. 

Linnet  in  California,  258,  259. 

Lion,  Sea,  in  Farallones,  275. 

Lodge,  Geo.  E.,  Visit  to  Gardiner's 
Island  with,  43,  60. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


427 


Longspur,   Chestnut-collared,    Song 

of,  340. 

Longspur,  McCown's,  Song  of,  340. 
Los  Banos,  Calif.,  Birds  of,  286-293. 

AlACDouGAL,  D.  T.,  Advice    by,    in 

Arizona,  242. 

Magistrate,  Bahaman,  165. 
Magpie,   American,   near   Lake  Ta- 

hoe,  306. 
Mallard,  feigning  lame,  323. 

with  young  in  San  Joaquin  Val- 
ley, 292. 
Mangrove   Cay,    Bahamas,    Arrival 

at,  166. 

Mangroves  killed  by  frost,  84. 
Manitoba,  Shoal  Lake,  White  Peli- 
can on,  373. 

Man-o'-War  Bird,   both  sexes  incu- 
bating, 218. 

Development     of     plumage     in 

young  of,  220,  221. 
Egg  of,  220. 

formerly  on  Pelican  Island,  83. 
in   Bahamas,    200-224. 
Inflation    of    gular     pouch     by, 

219. 

killed  for  food,  210. 
less  tame  than  Booby,  218. 
Nesting  sites  and  nests  of,  217, 

220. 

soaring,  206,  218. 
Young  of,  220. 

Marmot,  Hoary,  in  Canadian  Rock- 
ies, 360. 

Martin,  House,  aboard  ship,  392. 
Martin,  Sand,  in  England,  399. 
Massachusetts,  Martha's  Vineyard, 
36. 

Muskeget,  36. 
Penikese,  36. 
Matthews,  F.  Barrows,  Co-operation 

of,  157,  159,  163. 

Mayer,   Alfred  G.,   Studies  of  Boo- 
bies by,  214. 
Voyage  in  the  Bahamas  with, 

200,   204,   224. 

Maynard,  C.  J.,  Studies  of  Flamin- 
go by,  166. 

Meadowlark,  Alarm  note  of,  15. 
Home-life  of,  15. 
Morning  with,  15. 
Range  of,  about  nest,  15. 


Meadowlark,     Rate      of      feeding 
young  of,  18. 
Shyness  of,   15,  16. 
Song  of,  compared  with  that  of 

Western    Meadowlark,    231. 
Meadowlark,  Western,  in  Saskatch- 
ewan, 339. 

sings  on  blind,  235. 
Song  of,  231. 
Merriam,  C.  Hart,  At  Pyramid  Lake 

with,  376. 

Migration  of  Pelicans,  88. 
of  Phalaropes,  268. 
on  Cay  Verde,  209. 
Milliners',   Destructions    of    Cobb's 
Island  birds  for,  64. 

Destruction  of  Grebes  for,  303. 
Mink,   Absence   of,    on    Gardiner's 

Island,  89. 

Mirage  in  San  Joaquin  Valley,  287. 
Moccasins  in   Florida,   116. 
Mockingbird,  Bahama,  152. 
Molt  of  Ptarmigan,  358,  359. 
Monster,  Gila,  in  Arizona,  249. 
Moorhen,  Abundance  of,  400. 
Murre,  Eggs  of,  as  food,  276,  277. 
Eggs    of,    taken    at    Bempton 

Cliffs,  405. 
in  Farallones,  276. 
in  Fame  Islands,  406. 
Manner  of  perching  of,  278. 
off  coast  of  Wales,  392. 

NEBRASKA.Character  of  bird-life  of, 

229. 
Nebraska,    Halsey,    Birds    seen    at, 

229-231. 
Nesting     season,    Earliness    of,    in 

England,  397. 

Nesting-site,   Arboreal,    in    relation 
to  gregariousness,  36. 

influenced  by  environment,  37. 
insular,    Necessity   for,   among 

colonial  birds,  35-37. 
not  determined  by  condition  of 

young  birds  at  birth,  35. 
Nest-Relief,  Ceremony  of,  95,  96. 
Nevada,  Pyramid  Lake,  White  Peli- 
can on,  35. 
New  England,  Morton's  account  of 

birds  of,  38. 

New   Forest,    England,   Attractions 
of,  for  naturalist,  402. 


428 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


New  Jersey,   Englewood,   Study  of 
Blue  Jay  at,  3. 

Study  of  Meadowlark  at,  15. 
New  York,  Gardiner's  Island,  Bird 
studies  at,  34,  36,  37,  38-61. 

West  Park,  Bird  studies  at,  20. 
Nichols     Town,    Bahamas,    visited, 

165. 

Nighthawk  and  Whip-poor-will  con- 
fused, 29. 
Nighthawk,   feigning  lameness,   31. 

Nest  of,  29. 
Nighthawk,    Texas,    Notes     on,     in 

Arizona,  246. 
Nightingale,  Song  of,  394,  395. 

Song  season  of,  393. 
Noddy,  Flight  of,  196. 
Nest  of,  193. 
Notes  of,  192. 
on  Cay  Verde,  208. 
Persecution    of,    by     spongers, 

193. 

Tameness  of,  192,  195. 
Terrestrial    nesting     habit    of, 

how    acquired,    195. 
Notes  of  birds,  Significance  of,  58, 

59. 
Nova  Scotia,  Sable  Island,  37. 

OBEDIENCE  of  Young  Birds,   8,   31, 

53,  68,  325,  328. 
Observations  continuous  and  casual 

compared,  22. 
Opuntia    cholla   as    site   of    birds' 

nests,   245. 

in  Arizona,  244. 
Opuntia    engelmanni     in    Arizona, 

244. 

Opuntia  spinosior  in  Arizona,  244. 
Oriole,  Northrop's,  on  Andros,  158. 
Osprey  on  Gardiner's  Island,  46. 
Oyster-catcher  on  Cobb's  Island,  63. 
Oregon,    Bird    studies   on   Klamath 

Lake,  294-304. 
Owl,   Burrowing,   at   Halsey,   Neb., 

232. 

in  Florida,  80. 

Owl,  Elf,  living  in  giant  cactus,  244. 
Owl,  Screech,  and  Blue  Jay,  10-14. 
Owl,  Spotted,  Probable  call  of,  263. 

PALO  VERDE  in  Arizona,  244. 
Parental  control  of  young  birds,  8, 
31,  53,  68,  325-328. 


Paroquet,  Carolina,  Range  of,  80. 
Partridge,    Gambel's,   Notes   on,   in 

Arizona,  246,  249. 
Pass,  San  Gorgonio,  Force  of  wind 

through,  257. 
Pear,  Prickly,  in  Arizona,  244. 

in  Bahamas,  152,  207. 
Pelican,  selecting  island  as  home, 
371,  384. 

Wariness  of,  373,  378,  381. 
Weight  of,   370. 
Young  of,  378,  386. 
Pelican,   Brown,   Arrival   on   Island 
of,  86,  92. 

Daily  life  of,  105-108. 
Development   of   young   of,    94, 

96. 
driven  from  Pelican  Island,  84, 

85. 

Eggs  of,  95. 

exercising  in  the  air,  108. 
fighting,  108. 
Flight  of,  105. 
Means  of  defense  of,   90. 
Mental  status  of,  108-112. 
Migration  of,  88. 
Nesting  sites  of,  84,  92. 
Nests  of,  93. 
Notes  of,  96,  97. 
Plumage  of,  89. 
protecting  young,  112. 
recognizing  young,  110. 
Time  of  laying  of,   86,  88,  89, 

92,  95. 

Voice  of,  92. 
Young  of,  die  when  exposed  to 

sun,  110. 

Young   of,    eating   young    Peli- 
cans, 104. 

Young,  Habits  of,  99. 
Young  of,  how  fed,  97,  98. 

Pelican,  White,  Aerial  evolution  of, 
382. 

deprived  of  home  by  Reclama- 
tion Service,  379,  380. 
Expanse  of,  370. 
feeding  young,  381. 
Flight  of,  367. 
Knob  on  bill  of,  376. 
in  Saskatchewan,  384. 
on  Klamath  Lake,  380. 
Range  of,  370,  372. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


429 


Pelican  Island  flooded  by  norther, 

History  of,  83. 
Pelicans,  Former     distribution    of 

368. 

Peter,  negro  guide,  163. 
Petrel,  Ashy,  in  Farallones,  282. 
Leach's,  in  Farallones,  282. 
Phalarope,  Northern,  at  Monterey, 

268-271. 
Phalarope,   Red,  at  Monterey,  268- 

271. 
Phalarope,     Wilson's,     Actions     of, 

321. 

in  Wyoming,  241. 
Nesting  habits  of,  321. 
Notes  of,  321. 
Pnalaropes,  Feeding  habits  of,  21)8- 

271. 

Pheasant,  English,  Barren  hens  of, 
destroying  nests,  44. 

Concealing  powers  of,  42. 
Crow  of,  42. 
Flight  of,  42. 
Flight  of  young  of,  42. 
on  Gardiner's  Island,  42,  43. 
Possible  causes  of  decrease  ol, 
on  Gardiner's  Island,,  43,  44. 
Phcebe   nesting    near    "Slabsides," 
22. 

New  nesting-sites  of,  23. 
"Physalia,"   The,    goes    ashore    on 
Cistern  Key  shoals,  222. 

Voyage  in,  200. 

Pigeon,      White-crowned,      in    Ba- 
hamas, 152. 
Pigeon,  Wood,  Abundance  of,  400. 

Notes  of,  400. 

Pika  in  Canadian  Rockies,  360. 
Pimlico   in   Bahamas,   152. 
Pipit,  Tree,  Song  of,  401. 
Piru,  Calif.,  Birds  seen  at,  259-266. 
Piru  creek,  Gold  first  found  in,  260. 
Plains,  Attractiveness  of,  337,  338. 

Life  of,  338. 
Plains    of    Western   Canada,    Birds 

of,  337-349. 
Plover,     Mountain,     in     Wyoming, 

241. 

Plover,   Piping,   nesting   on    Gardi- 
ner's Island,  36,  46. 
Plover,   Wilson,   on   Cobb's   Island, 
63. 


Plumers,  proposed    visit  to  Cuthbert 

Rookery,  137,  145. 
Poets  and  English  birds,  391. 
Porpoises  catching  fish  in  the  air, 

138. 

Potrero,  Devil's,  in  California,  261. 
Price,  W.   W.,  Camp  of,  on  Fallen 

Leaf  Lake,  305. 
Protection     of     Farallone      Island 

birds,  278. 

Ptarmigan.  Distribution  of,  357. 
Protective   coloration    of,    358, 

360. 

Ptarmigan  Pass,  Birds  of,  355-366. 
Ptarmigan,    White-tailed,    in    Cana- 
dian Rockies,  357,  362. 
Tameness  of,  362-365. 
Puffins,  off  coast  of  Wales,  392. 

on  Fame  Islands,  406. 
Puffin,   Tufted,   in  Farallones,   281, 

282. 

Pyramid  Lake,  Pelicans  on,  376. 
to  go  dry  by  evaporation,  379. 

QUAIL,  Mountain,    in   the    Sierras. 
306. 

Valley,  Notes  of,  306. 
Quebec,  Bird  Rocks,  36. 

Bonaventure,  36. 

RAGGED  ISLANDS,  Anchor  near,  204. 

Bir.>  seen  on,  205. 
Rail,  Clapper,  on  Cobb's  Island,  63, 

74. 

Rainfall  in  Bahamas,  167,  176. 
Rats,   Absence    of,    on    Gardiner's 

Island,  39. 
Reclamation   Service,    Influence  of 

work  of,  on  birds,  379,  380. 
Recognition  of  young  by  White  Pel- 
icans, 382,  387. 
Reeds,    quill,   Abundance    of   birds 

in,  320. 

Reefs  in  Shoal  Lake,  317. 
Reserve,  Federal,  for  birds,  84. 
Ridgway,  Robert,  Studies  of  White 

Pelican  by,  376. 
Roadrunner,  Notes  on,  in  Arizona, 

246. 
Robin,  Abundance  of,  415. 

Nesting  habits    of,    on   Gardi- 
ner's Island,  41. 
Robin  Redbreast,  Song  of,  398. 


430 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


Robin,  Western,  in  Canadian  Rock- 
ies, 351. 
Rook,   Abundance,   of,    in   England, 

400. 

Rookery,  Cuthbert,  135-148. 
Flamingo,   109. 
life,  124,  144. 
meaning  of  term,  81. 
Roosevelt,    President,    creates     Re- 
serve of   Pelican  Island,  84. 

SALTON  SEA,  White  Pelicans  on  an 

island  in,  371. 
Sandpiper,   Bartram's,    nesting    on 

Gardiner's  Island,   46. 
Santa  Catalina  Mountains,  248. 
Sapsucker,   Williamson's,    Nest  of, 

in  Sierras,  308. 
Saskatchewan,     Big     Stick     Lake, 

White  Pelicans  on,  384. 
Scott's  ranch  on  Crane  Lake,  342. 
Sea  grape   in   Bahamas,   152,   207. 
Sea  lavender  in  Bahamas,  152,  207. 
Sedge  in  Bahamas,  152. 
Selborne,   England,   Attractions  of, 

401. 

Seton,  Ernest,  at  Shoal  Lake,  Mani- 
toba, 325. 

attacked  by  Black  Tern,  325. 
Sexual  display  of  Prairie  Hen,  233. 
Shasta,  Mt.,  Grandeur  of,  294,  297. 
Shearwater,     Audubon's,    in    Baha- 
mas, 198. 

Nesting  habits  of,  198. 
Notes  of,  199. 
on  Cay  Verde,  208. 
Shiras,  George,  3d,  Camp  with,  on 
Cay  Verde,  206. 
Voyage  in  Bahamas  with,  200, 

204. 

Shoal   Lake,   Manitoba,    Birds    ob- 
served at,  315-336. 
Sierras,  Birds  observed  in,  305-310. 

Extent  of,  255. 

Sink,  Salton,  Altitude  of,  253. 
Skimmer,  Actions  of,  when  colony 
is  approached   66. 

Arrival  of,on  Virginia  coast,  66. 

Attacking,  66. 

Bill  of,  72,  73. 

Date  of  laying  of,  66. 

Eggs  of,  68. 

Feeding  habits  of,  73,  74. 


Skimmer,  Incubating  habits  of,  64. 
Nest  of,  68,  70. 
Nest  of,  robbed,  66. 
Notes  of,   66,  70,  71. 
Number  of  eggs  laid  by,  64. 
on   Cobb's  Island,   63,   64. 
removes  egg-shell,  71. 
Young,  Bill  of,  73. 
Young  of,  difficult  to  see,  68. 
Young,  Food  of,  72. 
Young,  Obedience  of,  68. 
Skylark,  Abundance  of,  414. 

Song  of.  397. 
"Slabsides,"  21. 
Smith,   E.   W.,   Birds   mounted   by, 

111. 

Solitaire,  Townsend's,  Song  of,  in 
Canadian  Rockies,  352. 

Song  of,  in  Sierras,  310. 
Song  of  birds,  to  be  measured  by 
association,  391. 

stimulated  by  song,  318. 
Sparrow,     House,     in     competition 

with  native  species,  41. 
in  England,  398,  414. 
Sparrow,       Intermediate        White, 

crowned,  Song  of,  352. 
Sparrow,  Ipswich,  on  SaJble  Island, 

37. 

Sparrow,  Nelson's,  at  Shoal  Lake, 
322. 

Song  of,  22. 

Sparrow,  Savanna,  possible  main- 
land representative  of  Ipswich 
Sparrow,  37. 

Sparrow,  Song,    Geographic    varia- 
tions of,  254,  257. 
Sparrow,   Thick-billed   Fox,   in   the 

Sierras,  306. 

Spoonbill,     Roseate,     formerly    on 
Pelican  Island,  83. 
in  Cuthbert  Rookery,  135,  136, 

141,  144,  146. 
Nest  of,  142,  145. 
Sportsmen  preserving  birds,  134. 
Squirrel,  Red,  Absence  of,  on  Gard- 
iner's Island,  39. 

Stilt,  Black-necked,  Actions  of,  289. 
in   San  Joaquin  Valley,   288. 
Young  of,  289. 

Storm   in  Bahamas,   167,  202. 
Summerlin,  Aden,  113. 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


431 


Starling,    Abundance    of,    in     Eng- 
land, 399,  414. 

increasing  in  America,  399. 

Stratford,   England,  Birds   seen  at, 
404. 

Sula  cyanops,  216. 

Sula  leucogastra  in  Bahamas,  200, 
216. 

Swallow,  Barn,  nesting  at  Glacier, 
B.  C.,  352. 

Swan,  Wild,  Former  abundance  of, 
in  New  England,   38. 

Swift,  English,  Notes  of,  399. 

Swift,  White-throated,  bathing,  262. 
Nesting  sites  of,  262. 

TAHOE  LAKE,   Beauty  of,  305. 
Tahoe-Placerville  stage  route,  309. 
Tanager,  Scarlet,  at  nest,  28. 
Tanager    (Spindalis)    in    Bahamas, 

52. 

Taylor,  Will,  guide,  237. 
Teal,    Blue-winged,    covering   eggs, 

323. 

Teal,    Cinnamon,    in     San     Joaquin 
Valley,  290. 

Female  of,  always  leading,  290. 

nesting.   290. 

Young  of,  290. 
Temperature  in  Arizona,  245. 

in  Canadian  Rockies,  357. 

in  Nebraska,  232. 

in  Wyoming,   237. 
Tern,  Black,  defends  young,  325. 

Feeding  habits  of,  320. 

following  wagon,  315. 

Incubation  period  of,  325. 

in  San  Joaquin  Valley,  290. 

Nesting  habits  of,   324. 

Nesting  of,  290. 

raising  nest  after  rain,  325. 

Young  of,  290. 

Young,  Obedience  of,  325-328. 
Tern,  Bridled,  in  Bahamas,  198. 

on  Cay  Verde,  208. 
Tern,   Caspian,   on   Klamath    Lake, 
301. 

Young  of,  swimming,   301. 
Tern,     Common,     attacking     Fish 
Hawk,  47. 

in  Saskatchewan,  344. 

Nervousness  of,  336. 

on  Cobb's  Island,  63,  74. 


Tern,  Common,  on  Shoal  Lake,  336. 

Young  of,  swimming,  46. 
Tern,  Forster's,  in  San  Joaquin  Val- 
ley, 290. 

on  Cobb's  Island,  63,  74. 
Tern,  Gull-billed,  Nest  of,  36,  74,  75. 
Notes  of,  75. 
on  Cobb's  Island,  63,  74. 
Tern,  Least,    formerly    on    Cobb's 

Island,  63. 

Tern,  Sooty,  Flight  of,  196. 
nesting  on  ground,  195. 
Notes  of,  196. 
on  Cay  Verde,  208,  209. 
shyer  than  Noddy,  196. 
Terns,  Destruction  of,  on  Cobb's 

Island,  64. 

Terns  nesting   on    Martha's    Vine- 
yard,   Muskeget,    and    Penikese, 
36. 
Terns,  Southern,  laying  fewer  eggs 

than  northern  Terns,  198. 
Thrasher,  Palmer's,  Nesting  of,  in 

Arizona,  245. 

Thrush,  Hermit,  in  Canadian  Rock- 
ies, 351. 

Song  of,  in  Sierras,  310. 
Thrush,    Missel,    Early   nesting   of, 

397. 
Thrush,  Song,  Abundance  of,  414. 

Song  of,  396. 

Thrush,  Varied,   Song  of,  in  Cana- 
dian Rockies,  351. 
Timberline,  Horizontal,  near  Keno, 

Oregon,  295. 

Tourist,     destructive     on     Pelican 
Island,  95. 

Gun-bearing,  Curse  of,  84. 
Tropic  Bird  on  Cay  Verde,  208. 
Tule  islands  of  Klamath  Lake,  296, 

298. 

Turkey,     Water,     Appearance     of, 
117. 

feeding  young,  118. 
Flight  of,  118. 
Habits  of,  114. 
Nesting  sites  of,  116. 
Notes  of,  116,  118. 

VALLEY,  SACRAMENTO,  255. 
Valley,  San  Joaquin,  255. 
Vireo,    Warbling,    singing    on  nest, 
319. 


432 


INDEX  TO  TEXT 


Virginia,  Cobb's  Island,  36,  63. 
Vulture,     Turkey,     compared    with 
California  Condor,  263. 
in  Flamingo  colony,  182. 
nesting    on    Man-o'-War    Key, 

137. 
Wariness  of,  265. 

WARBLER, Cape  May,  Abundance  of 
on  Cat  Cay,  224. 

Kirtland's,   seen  on    Cat    Cay, 

224. 
Parula,    on    Gardiner's    Island, 

45. 

Reed,  Song  of,  401. 
Willow,  Song  of,  401. 
Warden  on  Pelican  Island,  85,  86. 
Warwick  Castle,  Birds  seen  at,  404. 
Washerwoman  Keys,  Birds  of,  168. 
Waxwing,  Cedar,  at  Monterey,  268. 
Weasel,  Absence  of,  on  Gardiner's 
Island,  39. 

Possible   damage   to   nesting 
birds  by,  36. 

West  Indian  birds  in  Florida,  17. 
Wheatear  aboard  ship,  392. 
Wheeler,  W.  M.,  in  Bahamas,  164. 
White,  Gilbert,  402. 


Whitney,  Mt.,  Altitude  of,  250. 

Whittaker,  guide,  259. 

Wild    Cats,     Possible    damage    to 

nesting  birds  by,  36. 
Wild-fowl  in  western  Canada,  Ne- 
cessity for  protecting,  314. 
Willet,  Flocks  of,  in  Snake  Bight, 

Florida,  139. 

on  Cobb's  Island,  63,  74. 
Wilson,  Alexander,  on  Fish  Hawk, 

47. 
Winchester,     England,     haunt      of 

Isaac  Walton,  402. 
Woodpecker,     Ivory-billed,     Range 

of,  80. 
Wren,  Cactus,  Early  nesting  of  in 

Arizona,  245. 

in  Mohave  Desert,  258. 
Notes  of,  245. 
Wren,  Carolina,  Abundance  of,  on 

Gardiner's  Island,  44,  45. 
Wren,  Rock,  in  Farallones,  283. 

in  Saskatchewan,  339. 
Wren-Tit,  Distinctness  of,  254. 
Wyoming,  Bates'  Hole,  235,  239. 

YUCCA  TREE,   at  Hesperia,  258. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 

COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Jun  1 


Ubrar 


SEP  8   1972 


Book  Slip-25m-7,'61(Cl437s4)4280 


UCLA-College  Library 
QL681C36C 


Q    /J)  L  005  670  564  3 

•.      UU/U/vi 


College 
Library 

QL 

681 

C36c 


A    0( 


001  059  243    4 


